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HISTORY 



CROMWELL, Cyt. 



J^ SKETCH 



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MIDDLETOWN, 
CONSTITUTION OFFICE. 
1880. 



PREFACE. 

The basis of this pamphlet was a Centennial Discourse which was delivered 
in the Congregational church in Cromwell, July 16, 1876, with which many notes 
have been incorporated and an Addenda added, containing facts of historical 
value. It is printed in the hope that it may be of use in the preservation 
of facts that may be useful in the future. 

Cromwell, Conn., Jan. 8, 1880. M. S. DUDLEY. 



\- XO-^ 



4 



HISTORY OF CROMWELL, 



Dcut. 8: 2— "Tlion sliall romcmbpr all 
tlic way wlii,-h tiic Lord tiiy God led thee/' 

From lime immemorial tlip uplands of 
this part of tbe Connecticut Valley have 
t)een the abidin<r place of man. 

The first Engiisii exp1orei-s, in passinir 
up and down the river, saw upon the liigh 
ernuod, not tar from the corner of Wasii- 
Jngton and Hi«h Streets in Middieton-n. the 
C'HSlle of Indian Sachem Sawheae, chief of 
a tribe who occupied the surroundinjr hills 
in Maromas Durham, :\ri(idlefield, West- 
field, Cromwell, Chatham and Portland, 
then known by the Indian name Malta- 
besett, niterward included within the lim- 
its of Middlrtown. 

In the Indian Hill Cemetery rest the 
sishes of I l<now not how many frenerations 
of our red hued barbarian predecessors. 

Then the hills and hiiiii sirounds herea- 
»)'iiHs such as Prospect Hill, Ti,nber Hill— 
the name of the latter is a memorial of its 
frrmer condition— Portland Heights, were 
='11 heavily wnoded, while the alluvial 
lands alongside the Little River, and the 
Connecticut hs far up as Wethersfiekl, 
were low and swampy. The j^rowth of 
timb,.,- was dense, intersperpcd with a thick 
and tangled undergtowtii. The river ran 
with a deeper and stron-er current than at 
present. Its channel was full througliout 
llie year. i\I„ch ,,f the lowland he.ea- 
'">uls, since drained and converted into 
Jich j)roduclive meadows, was either dead 



swamp, or so wet and cold as to have no 
atiraclions for the new settlers. The high- 
er and more easily culti^'ated alluvial of 
Wethersfield, Hartford and Windsor was 
more attractive. Chief Sawheag was un- 
friendly to the white strangers. 

These two reasons, the pre-occupancy 
of this region by unfriendly Indians and 
the low swampy condition of the alluvial, 
delayed settlements something like twenty 
years or more after the regions above had 
been occupied. 

This is the first picture of life in this 
section. 

T^IKST SETTLEMENT. 

Tiie first settlements by the ancestors of 
the present occupants were made in 1050. 
This date is pretty sure. There may have 
been a few pioneers two or three years ear- 
lier, but this present vear of 1870 marks 
t!ie two hu mired and twenty-sixth anni- 
versary of the white mane's permanent es- 
tablishment upon these lands The num- 
ber of families for vvhicli provision was 
made was fifteen. They were considera- 
bly increased the followit^g year, and in 
1070 amounted to fifty two. The settle- 
ment commenced on the Connecticut River 
to the Nortli and South of Little River. 

Among those who settled North of Little 
River, were tlie families of Kirby, ]\Iartin, 
Itanney, Sage . Savage, Stocking, White 
and Wilcox. 

The following is Dr. Field's account ot 
the first settlements made iu Cromwell, 



2 



called till 1851 Upper Houses or Upper 
Middletowt] ; "A part of the early lahab- 
tants settled in Upper Houses, and almost 
all these erected their dwellings in the 
lower part of the village, on tiie street 
midway between Middlesex Turnpike and 
the River, (now called Plpasant S'.reet). 
These were^ Nathaniel White, Samuel 
Stocking, George Graves, Robert Webster, 
Joseph Siiiith, Daniel Harris, John Mar- 
tin, John Savage, Thomas Ranney, David 
Sage and John Kirb}'. Between ti)e upper 
and lower settlements- intercourse was 
maintained by a ferry across Little River." 

Tlie social condition of the early settle- 
ments was peculiar and is an interesting 
study. As shown by the quotation from 
Dr. Field's address the first settlements on 
these lands was in a compact village com- 
munity. This was for protection and, so- 
cial advantages. The original proprietors 
each took a small lot at the center for a 
homestead. Tiiey then divided the out- 
lying commons into larger lots or farms 
and tlistributed them at various times, as 
the lands were surveyed and occasion de- 
manded. 

The first care of the settlers of Middle- 
town was characteristic of our Puritan an- 
cestry. It was to make provision for liie 
religious wants of the new conimunity. 
The first recorded vote is in regard to a 
new meeting house, dated Feb. 2d, lt35-2. 
The iiouse was a small structure, twenty 
feet square and ten feel from floor to ceil- 
ing. ]l was surrounded by palisades. It 
stood on a Common, West or Norlh-West 
of the old English Cemetery. Its site is 
probably somewhere in tlie vicinity of the 
Main Street bridge over the Air Line rail- 
road. This house was used eighteen years, 
and gave way in 1680 to another edifice a 
little farther South on the East side of 
Main Street, about opposite Liberty Street. 
This location was eliosen with a view to 
accommodating the worslnppers at Upper 



Houses. The people were assembled by 
the beating ot a drum, which also called 
out a guard of soldiers, never less than 
eight men and a sergeant, to keep watch 
while the worshippers were at their devo- 
tions. 

The method of assembling the people for 
public worsliip by the use ot the drum con- 
tinued long after the necessity of a milita- 
ry guard was passed. It was the practice 
in this place, certainly as late as 173(5, 
eighty six years after the first settlement. 

The foUowing votes from the records of 
the "Upper Houses " Ecclesiastical Socie- 
ty are of interest as referring to their 
custom, and showing the duties of the 
drummer to belong to the sexton. 

" At a meeting of ye society Feb. 15th, 
1715, the society agreed with Sam Stowe 
to bcate the drum and sweep the meeting 
house tor tlie year ensuing, and to look 
after the doors, for one pound, five shil- 
lings uioney, or as money." 

At a meeting held Dec. 17th, 1724, 
"Tlie Society agreed to give Nathaniel 
Ranney 15 shillings for beating tlie drum.'' 
At a meeting held Dec. 14th, 1735, -'The 
Society agreed to give Nathaniel Ranney 
16 shillings for beating the drum for the 
year enduing, if he can be ol)taiued. Other- 
wise t!)e committee to hire one as cheap as 
they can to beale the drum on Sabbath 
days and other days of public meetings in 
said Society." 

These entries continue year after year 
for several years, probably till the matter 
was left to the society's committee without 
a record of the vote of transfer. The beat- 
ing of the drum continued m Upper Houses 
lor a period of eighty years at least after 
the first settlement.- Dr. Field says sixty 
years. There is a record of a vole liken 
Nov. 1st, 1736, iu regard to collecting 
money to defray the expense" of "beating 
the drum and sweeping the meeiiug 
house." 



From th(j (liscontinuancf of beating the' 
drum (fon>p time during tlie Revolution or 
800U after) till t be present bell was pur- 
chased in 1843, there was no means of 
summoning the people to public worship. 

In these early times while the iuhabit- 
ilants of Lower and Upper Middletown 
formed one ecclesiastical society the people 
of th(- upper village were oblis-ed to go to 
the lower village for public worship. 

We can easily imagme a cavakade of 
neighbors liding down the river banks. 
They were mounted upon tUeir steady 
going farm horses, the father in the saddle, 
the mother upon a pillion behind, two 
children m front, perhaps a third in the 
mother's arms. Tlie older boys and girls of 
the settlement would walk in troops along 
the bridle path. We see these companies 
awaiting their lime at the ferry over the 
Little River. 

In the winter the ride across the meadow 
would often be bleak. The wind would 
cut sharp Mild the snow would chill the 
feet. But there would be not even a half 
warmed meeting house to welcome tlie 
frozen worshippers. It was sacrilege to 
have a fire in the house of God in those 
days. It was not to be thought of. The 
expeident often resorted to from the neces- 
sity of the worshippers, was the erection 
of small huts of one loom on the grounds 
about the house of worship. Tiiese were 
called Sabba' day houses. These were 
generally of one story, sometimes two, in 
which the lower one >vas for the horses. 
Each of I he well to-do families had its 
own Sabbu' day house. The single apart- 
ment, perhaps fifteen feet square, was 
rudely furnished with chairs for the older 
people and benches for the children. There 
was a table in the middle. Upon it a 
Bible, and a few religious books. The 
room was provided with a large fire place. 
Also with conveniences for fr.rnisliing a 
simple n past at noon time. " A group ot 



such cabins," says Mr. Abbott in bis 
" Revolutioriary Times," " standing about 
the meeting house?, added not a little to the 
prcturcsqueness of tbo spot, and their use 
conduced greatly to the convenience and' 
comfort of tlie SabbatU worship, especially'' 
in winter. The family able to keep a Sab- 
ba' bouse drove directly thither on Sab- 
bath mornings, warmed themselves up by 
a hot fire without, and quite likely by a 
hot drink within.'" Here also the in- 
tcrunssion was spent with due regard to 
the wants of both the outer and the inner 
man. 

There a;re traditions of such houses 
owned by the well-to-do church goers of 
Upper Houses while they attended worship 
at Lower Houses. 

From recent inquiries I think it very 
doubtful whether there were buildings ex- 
clusively used by worshipoers on the Sab- 
bath. There may have been rooms in the 
buildings and shops adjoining the church, 
to which the people resorted. Such was 
the case in this village even after tue 
second house of worship was erected. A 
basement in a dwelling house, standing on 
the site now occupied by the Baptist 
Church, known as "The Stow Place," 
was so ustd. 

To this portraiture ot one phase of our 
forefafhers' lite there is not time to add a 
description of their secular and domestic 
affairs. 

The period under review must confine 
me pretty closely to an exclusive summary 
of the religious history of this community, 

UPPER MIDDLETOWN PARISH. 

In 1703, O. S.-1704, N. S.— Jan. 18, 
the town " agreed that the inhat)itants of 
Upper Houses miijht settle a minister and 
build a meeting house, provided they set- 
tled a minister within six oral most twelve 
mouths from that lime." In May, 170-1, 
a new parish was incorporated. 

This parish comprised the present town 



of Cromwell, and, till 1700, the East street 
of Worthinglori, now East Berlin. 

Its population was probably about 250. 
List of taxable persons in North Society, 
Middletown, about the time it was organ- 
ized as au Ecclesiastical Society. 

Names. List. 

James Brown, £ 22.00 

Widow Butler, COO 

Joseph Butler, lo. 10 

Nathaniel Clark, 46.14 

Daniel Clark, 05.10 

Serj. Clark, 71.17 

John Clark, 46.00 

Isaac Cornell, 24.00 

Joseph Crowfoot, 18.00 

Samuel Frary, 69.00 

Rocjer Gibson, 45.10 

Sanuiel Gibson, 72.00 

Divid Hurlburt, .",7.00 

John Kirby, 30.00 

Samuel Lucas, 85.00 

William Mark, 25 00 

]\Iarnaret Ranney, 3.10 

Ebiniezer Ranney, 48 18 

Joseph Ranney, 61.05 

John Ranney, 30.05 

Thomas Ranney, 120.15 

"Widow Ran nej', (i. 10 

Widow Sage, 24,00 

^' TimoUiy Sage, 79.05 

\.,J()hn Sage, 150.00 

Capl. Jolin Savai^e, 89.02 

Thomas Savage, 41.10 

William Savage, 73.00 

Hannah Scovil, 27. 10 

Mary Scovil, 15.00 

John Shepherd, j* ^,. „ 

Edward Sliepher<l, »i 

Samuel Shepherd, 21.00 

Daniel Stockiiiii;, 59.05 

Samuel Stow, 39.05 

Thomas Slow, Sr., 42.00 

Thomas Stow. Jr., 43.00 

John Earner, Sr., 77.10 

John Warner, Jr., 75.11 



• Joseph White, 8.5.00 

Ensign White, 8-5.10 

John White, 18.00 

Hugh White, 42.00 

Daniel White, 49.17 

Jacob White, 88.00 

Israel Wilco.v, 148.05 

John Wilcox, 57.05 

Francis Wilcox, 59.05 

Samuel Wilco.\, 77.00 

Joseph Whitmore, 44.00 

Total, £2,-586.03 

Whole number of names, 50. 

Allowing five persons to each tax payer, 
we have 250 as tlie population of Upper 
Middljlovvn Society'. 

"Estimated population in 1703, 250 

" 1850, 1,275 

•' . 1860, 1,617 

" 1870, 1,856 

1870, native population, 1,358; for- 
eign, 498. 

After the incorporation of the Second 
Ecclesiaslical Society of Middletown, its 
church and school affairs were managed 
separately. All the local affairs continuLd 
to be under the direction oi the tonn of 
Middletown, till a separate townshio was 
incorporated in 1851. 

CHURCH OF UPPER MIDDLETOWN. 

The new paiish did not comply with the 
conditions of liie old society in imniedialc- 
ly settling a minister. Not till 'Jan. 5, 
1715, was a cliurcli of tweiity-lhiTc mem • 
hers organized, and the Rev. .Joseph Smith 
settled as pastor. The following is a list 
of members : 

Names. Names. 

Capt. John Savage, Widow Nathaniel White, 

Mrs. John^Savage, Mr. Joseph Wliite, 

Sergt. Wm. Savage, Jlrs. Thomas Stow. Sr., 
Mrs. Wm. Savage. Mrs. Daniel White, Sr., 

Mr. Thomas Ranney. Mrs. Joseph White, 
Mrs. Thomas Ranney, Mrs. Daniel Clark, 
Mr. John Ranney, Mrs. Jonathan Warner, 

Mrs. John Ranney, Mrs Nathaniel Savage, 

Mr. Joseph Ranney, Widow Shepanl, 



Mrs. Joseph Ranney. Samuel ITall, 
3Ir. Samuel Stow. Samuel Gibson. 

Mrs. Samuel Stow, 

Summary. By letter, 21 ; profession, 2. 

Total, 23. 

All exoept, HpU anci Gibson were re- 
ceived fron the old society In ^liddle 
town. 

Previous to the time ot formiuc; a cburcli 
and settlin;! a pastor m liouse of worsihip 
had been built and so fsir furnished that it 
could be occupied for preachin;?. This 
house stood a little North-East of the old 
cemetery. Here the people listened to 
candidates, ca;iie near fi.King their choice 
upon several, and at last made a decision 
in favor of Mt. Smith. A church was or - 
ganized upon IJK' same diiy that the. first 
pastor was settled. All the members but 
two cami- off from tlie old church, which, 
after Ihis cluireb was oijianized, was called 
the Snntii Church. 'Ihe first officers of 
this church l)eside the pastor already 
mentioned were Serat. Williau. Savai^e, 
j.nd Serut. Samuel Hall, elected deacons 
F<d). 10, 171'"), one year after the cliurch 
was org.mizt d. 

The following is tlie roll of deacons who 
have served this church since its organiza- 
tion : 

Names. Appointed. Ceased to Remarks. 
Act. 

Sam'l Hall, Feb. 10, 171(5 

W. Savage, " " " Jan. 35, 1737 

S. Stow, Sept. 28, 1741 

J. Wilcox, 3Iay 13, 1751 Died, JE 68 

S Gipson, March 18, 1748 " " 76 

S. Shepherd, Dee. 3, 1745 April 9, 1750 



I. White, Jan. 1.% 1740 June 27, 1769 Died, JE 71 

W. Savage, 1774 " " 74 

T. Johnson, Jan. 9, 17(W Dee. 26, 1774 " " 56 

J. Kirby, Nov. 29 1770 Sept. 12, 1783 " " 04 

"^S. Sage, Jan. 26, 1775 June 7, 1795 " "74 

T. Gipson, Jan. 14 1781 March 23 1810 Resigned. 

■^ A. Sage. Feb. 22, 1790 March 23 1810 

J. Hubbard, Dec. 14 1807 Aug. 23 1808 Died JE 63 

B. Parnielee, Mar. 2:J 1810 April 6 1822 Resigned. 

R. Sage, July, 1817 Mar. i:i, 1826 Died JE 49 

J. R. Wilcox, Nov. 11 1822 .Jan. 4 1839 Resigned. 

I. Sag*, Oct. 29, 1826 Sept. 30, 1861 Died JE 75 
R, AVarner, Jan. 4, 18.39 Sept. 1, 1813 Resigned. 



J. Stevens, Sept. 1. 1843 Feb. 5, 1875 

G. H. Butler. July 0, 1862 Acting. 

K. B. Savage, April 30, 1875, " 

Suimnary. Died in office, 10; resigned, 
G ; whole nuud)er, 22. 

'1 he first recorded votes dated Jan. 18, 
1715, were upon the matter of church 
membership, and are very obscure. I am 
uncertain about their meaning. 

'•It was vot(d and agreed upon that re- 
lations slioidd not be a binding term of ad- 
mission into this church. But persons 
migiit use liieir liberty in that case.'' 
■ Doubtful as to the meaning of this vote, 
1 r< tt-ried it lo Rev. Drs. Bacon and Dex- 
ter, and received the following interesting 
leliers in replv : 

New Hdv< n, Dec. M, 1877. 

Rev. M.S.Dudley. Dear Sir :— That 
imte (ilie firht) is not unlike one of a some- 
what liter date, which I remember on the 
rc(t(ir(I-i of the first cluucli in New Haven. 
Our cimrehes were at first \evy rigorous in 
the demand thai a candidate for admission 
l'> tlie Lord's table, shnuid relate, in Ihe 
lieating ol the church, the story of the 
\\ork of peitee on his soul. That Story 
was c.iilid his "relation." The Baptist 
churches, I believe, retain the usage to this 
day; every candidate relates the story ot 
Ids " e.xperience," and the word "expe- 
rience" is sometimes used by them in the 
same sense in whicli the word " relation " 
is used in the vote which puzzles you. The 
vole means, sim[)ly. that the church will 
no lousier demand ot every candidate for 
ciimmunion a formal narrative (written or 
unwritten) of his religious expeiience, but 
will accept any s^aisfying evidence of his 
Curistian character. 

Y(-uis truly, 

Leonakd Bacon. 
Bostop. Dec. U, 1877. 

My Dear Brother: — The first note, lo 
which you refer, relates to the fact that in 
tlieeaily days of New England, it was 



6 



usual for each candidate for cburch mem- 
bership to write aud read before the cluiich 
a " Relation '" of his or her Christian ex- 
perience, after which (and any questions) 
the vote was taken. The signiticance of 
the note in your record* is in the fact that 
in the spreading defection which resulted 
in Unitarianism such "relations" became 
unpo[)ular, and many cliurches voted to 
dispense vvith tliem. I have seen many 
such in manuscri[)t. It would be strange 
if you should not be able to tind among 
your old church papers on file, some wnicli, 
had been given in before this note. [The 
church was organized Jan. 5th, and this 
note was passed Jan. 13th, 1715. D. ] 
They degenerated into a mere foim, being 
apparently, substantially copied by each 
ne«' api)licant, who then affixed his oi' her 
name. 

The second note refers to the half- way 
covenant. The grandchikb-en ot the 
tirsl settlers many ot then) grew up 
out of the chur(;h, with merely thai 
purely technical "covenant" relation 
which ihey hud, in those days, in viiliieof 
having been baptized. When they married 
and raised children as they were not them- 
selves in full meml>ership, they could ncil 
have bai)lism lor their euililien. As a con • 
se(iuence il began to look as if the next gen- 
eration would be very largely an unbaptized 
one. This excited great solicitude in the 
minds ot the people, ;ind led to the synod 
of 1()()2, which resulted in t lie recommend- 
ation that adull parents w!»o had Iheui- 
selves been baptized in infancy might have 
baptism for their children, provided they 
were not scandalous in their lives ;.nd 
made assent publieally to the doctrinal De- 
lief of the church. This was called "own- 
ing the covenant." It led to the introduc- 
tion into sucli cliurches, as assented to an., 
practiced it, of two sets of members, full 
nieml)ers and half-way members, who hiul 
the right to baptism tor themselves Jind 



their chiklreD, luit had nol the right to the 
Lord's Supper. This arrangement, as one 
might easily anticipate — looking back with 
our light — was admirably calculated to 
br ng in Unitarianism and other ills, and 
did so HI many places to a deplorable de- 
gree. 

Faithfully yours, 

ilENKY M. Dexter. 

The next vote on the records to which 
Dr. Dexter refers was as follows : 

" It was voted and agreed upon by the 
church at the same time, that persons nol 
scand dous and of competency of knowl- 
edge, should have the seal of baptism upon 
their desu-e, they owning the covenant." 
The church in itsearly organization had two 
Covenants, one a Baptismal Covenant, the 
other a Full Ct)mmuniou Covenant, given 
below. The use of these two Covenants 
continued till 1805, during which year the 
last insiance of receiving a member liy ii 
reuevval of Covenant is recordeii, and was 
formally given up about 1809. 

The First Covenants o":' the Chnrch and 
Confession of Faith. 

FULL COMMUNION' COVENANT. 

Do you in the presence of God, his holy 
angels, and ot this assembly, seriously and 
sincerely, so tar as you know your own 
heart, this day vouch the Lord Jehovah, 
the only living and true God, to be your 
God, and do you give up yourself lo ilinj 
alone, acknowledging God the Father to ue 
your Father and lM)vereign ? And do you 
tiive up yourself unto the Lord Jesus 
Christ as your only Saviour and Redeemer, 
your Propliet, Priest and King, and to the 
Holy Spirit of God, as your Sanetifier >-,nd 
Comforter ? And do you give up yourself 
to the Church of the Lord Jesus, and 
solemnly promise, by HkS gracious assist- 
ance, to walk with Him and His Clhundi in 
ways of Holy Communion and due ob 
servation of, antl subjugation to, all His 
holy ordinances according lo His will re- 



vc;ilo(J in U\< luily word ? 

I'pdii ihc Cliurch taking the ix-isoii ac- 
<T|)tt<i 1, (ihf pastor), say, 

I now promise to 3'oii in tlu' n.inic of this 
(;iiiircli, tiiat l)v God's gracious assistance, 
we will wall< towards yon in all brotherly 
love and lioly watchfulness for your mu- 
tual suecor and edification in the Lord. 
And I declare you to iie a memljer in full 
rouuiiunion with the Church of Clu-Jsl, and 
particularly with this churcli. 

HM'TISMAT. COYESANT. 

Do you srive up yourself to tiiat God 
alone whose name is Jehovah, acUnowl- 
fdgmg Him to be the only true and livmg 
G<»d, and to our TiOrd Jesus Christ as your 
only Saviour and Redeemer, Prophet, 
Priest and King and only mediator of the 
Covenant of PcMce, and to the Holy Spirit 
as your Coinfiirter and Sanctitier? And do 
you promise, by God's gracious assistance 
(o walk in newne>s of life, (as they are 
obliged to who are baptized) and that you 
will diligently and constantly, as you have 
opportunity, wait on God in the use of 
those means he hatli appointed for your 
attaining a greater degree of knowledge 
and more rlear discovery of the duty which 
is incumbent on yon, and do you subject 
and submit yourself to the government of 
Chrisi, in His Church, in this place, and 
luitil vou are regularly joined in full com- 
munion with this or some other Church of 
Christ, walking according to the order of 
J he Gospel ? 

<'0NFESS10N USED FOK ADMITTlMi TO FFLL 
COMMUNION. 

I do believe there is one God; in three 
jier-sons; the Father, S(m and Holy Ghost. 

I do l)elieve inG<Kl the Fatlier, Almiijlity 
Maker ot Heaven and earth and all things 
that are therein, and that he rules and gov- 
«Tns them by his wisdom and power. 

I do believe that God at first created man 
Iioly and upright, but by trans^jrcssion he 



is miserably fallen, and that we in him are 
fallen under the wrath and curse of God. 

I do believe m the Lord Jesus Christ, 
the eternal Son of God, who was con- 
ceived by the Holv Ghost, born of the Vir- 
gin Mary, dead and buried, the third day 
he arose again from the dead, he ascended 
into Heaven and sitteth on the right hand 
of God the Father. From thence he shall 
come to judge the quick and the dead. 

I do believe the Son of God to be the 
mediator of the Covenant of Grace and the 
only Saviour of fallen mankind, who has 
purchased by his righteous life and carnal 
suffering and death all that sinners need to 
make them happy. 

I do believe in the Holy Ghost the third 
person, in the ever blessed Trinity the 
Sanctifier of them that are saved. 

I do believe in the forgiveness nf sins 
through the Lord Jesus, and the resurrec- 
tion of the dead and an everlasting life of 
happiness and miser}*. 

FeeliniT the obligation of this faith upon 
my heart, I desire through the grace of 
God to be exercising repentance toward 
God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ 
and submit myself unto Him in all things, 
that as l)eing found in tiie way of mj^ duty, 
I may he in the way of the blessing, and 
enjoy communion with Him in His holy 
ordinances, that I may be built up by Him 
unto eternal life. 

The Baptismal or " Half-way " Covenant 
did not entitle those who took it to the 
communion. It gave them the privilege 
of having their children baptized. This 
privilege was forfeited if at any time the 
"half-way" covenanters were guilty of 
unchristian conduct and could cmly be re- 
stored b}' confession and promise of amend- 
ment. The "lialf-way" covenanter could he 
received to full communion bj' making con 
fession of unchristian conduct and accepting 
the Full Communion Cbvenaut. The act of 
confessions vvas known as " rendering 



8 



Christian satisfaction for sin." In popular 
parlance it was called "walking the broad 
aisle," because those who made confession 
walked into the broad aisle of the church 
while the minister read their confessions. 
The whole number of cases of rendering 
satisfaction for offences between the years 
1738^when the first record was made and 
1805, was one hundred and sixty. 

The Half-way Covenant was repealed 
about 1S09-10. Rev. Mr. Williatns made 
its discontinuance a condition of his settle 
ment as pastor of the church. On the 7tb 
of March, 1810, the following vote was 
adopted : 

"Voted, " That the former practice of 
requiring a public confession of the sin of 
fornication and other sins on admission to 
the Church, be abolished." 

Since 1810 (1810-]87(i)tlienumberof cases 
of discipline resulting in excommunication 
or withdrawal of fellowship, have been 
fourteen individual cases and seventeen 
offences. 

I.I.ST OF THE PASTORS OF THE CIirRCH. 

Joseph Smith, P., began Jan. 5, 1715; 
ended Sept. 8, 1736. Died. 

Edward Eells, P., began Sept. (>, 1788; 
ended Oct. 12, 177fi. Died. 

Gershom Buckley, P., began June 17, 
1778; ended July 7, 1808. Resigned. 

Joshua L. Williams,' P., began June 14, 
1809; ended Dec. 29, 1832. Died. 

Zebnl'.n Crocker, P., l)egan May 2, l^'SS; 
ended Nov. 14, 1847. Died. 

George A. Bryan, P., iiegan June 13, 
1849; ended Oct. 20, 1857. Resigned. 

James A. Clark, P., began June IH, 
1858; ended Dec. 2, 18()3. Dismissed. 

Wm. K. Hall, A. P., began March, 
18()4; ended April 1, 1S65. 

Horatio O. Ladd, P.. began Nov. 23, 
]8fi5 ; ended Dec. If!, 18t)7. Resigned. 

Thomas M. Milts, A. P., began 18(58; 
ended 1S7(I. 



A. C. Hurd, A. P., began 1871 ; ended 

1873. 
Myron S. Dudley, P., began Feb. 25, 

1874. 

SUMMARY. 

Pastors, 9 

Acting Pastors, 3 

Died in office, 4 

Resigned and dismissed, 5 

Whole number, 12 

REV. JOSEPH SMITH, FIRST PASTOR. 

Rev. Mr. Smith's pastorate continued 
till his death, Sept. 8, 1736. The records 
of the church durintt his term of office are 
very incomplete. Most of the items were 
colleoted by his successor, after the lalter"s 
settlement. 

cnriiOH Bni.DixGS. 

The meeting-house, erected when the 
society was incorporated, completed aud 
dedicMted at the time of Mr. Smith's settle- 
ment, served the wants of the people till 
1730. Toward the close of that year, steps 
were taken toward building a new house. 
The society agreed to cut limber for the 
house "the latter end of January or the 
beginning of February," 1735. The house 
was not ready to raise till March of the 
following year. 

The raising of the ponderous timbers of 
a meeting house was a formidable under- 
taking in olden times. 

A committee on raising was appointed. 
(Sergt. Sheperd, Hugh White and John 
Warner). The parish was divided into 
three parts, and each section direeled to 
furnish dinner on the day the committee 
should order. The people were to furnish 
drinks for the dinners, but the society 
agreed that what drinks wt- re expended in 
raising the meeting-house should be borne 
by the scxjiety. You can see the bottles 
and jugs passing up and down, aU"rnating 
with the braces and pins which fastened 
the timbers. One loosened the human, as 
the other fastened the timber, joints. 



The house was immedialcly proparcd for 
<ncciipanry, thoiii^li not culircJy finished lill 
some years later. Il was iifty-fivc tett in 
Jen^th and thirty-six feet in width. It 
stood on Mmih strerl, jnst South of the 
present Iljiptist Oliuieh. At first it was 
close to the roadway, so that the people 
<lisnioiiJ3ted immediately upon the steps. 
It) 181;] it was moved Ixack foiu- or five 
rods by pcrtuission of the ('oirity Ckmrt. 
The ba.*<svvood trt-e now slandiog on (he 
<'omiiion was ne;u' the South-east cvirner "i 
llie liuildins. The honse was vary simple 
an its eunstnu-tion, tiunigh massive in 
Ira me. Tiiere were lhr(« en I ran res, one 
<!'aeh on the Nortli, Pvist and iSouth sides, 
opening directly into the audience ioo\u 
witliout a vestibule. It liad two rows of 
ivitidow.s. Inside there was a gadery on 
three sides, stairwjiys leadinij toil not in- 
ch sed, square pi ws and a joliy pulpit 
with sounding lioard over it. About IHio 
the inside Was friuodeled by closing the 
IXorth and South entiame, taking a vesti- 
bul- from the East side of the audience 
a- ooui beiieiiih (he front gallery, and re- 
placing tiie S(|uares wirh Jiiunnv j>ews in 
the center of the house. 

This hous;; stood till the present edifice 
was erected in 1840, at an expense of six 
JiiousKnd three hundred eighty-five dol- 
lars and eighty-seven, cents (|<J,:-JS5.87), 
and dedicated Jau. 0, 1841. 

EDWARD EELTJ^' J'ASTOEATK. 

Two years after the death of Mr. Smith, 
Ficv. Edward Eelle was iustalied as patslLV, 
J^ept. li, 1788, and served till his death, 
Oct. 12- 177«. During tiie pastorate of 
-Mr. Eeils, a committee, somewhat like (he 
{M-esent sianding committee, was appointe<i. 
The first notice is in Nov. 28th, 1754. Oh 
;l)is day the question was asked whether 
5 here should not be a prudential eoinmit- 
<ei; to take special waicli of the brethren 
iind children of the church. The first com- 
m tiee was Fraiu'js ^Yilco.\, 11 uu;!) White. 



Dea. Isaac White and John Gibson. " It 
was voted that the special business of this 
committee is to admonish in a brotheily 
way those who don't walk onlerly or as 
becomes the Gospel, and those who are 
supposed to have committed any offence. 
The3' shall with a spirit of meekness and 
impartiality endeavor their conviction and 
attend the rules of the Gospel in bringing 
such eases before the clnirch, when it can t 
l)e otherwise remedied, and it is expected- 
(hat they advise with their minister from 
time to time about the manner and method 
of their conilucl." This committee h.s 
been continued with changes of its duties 
from time to time throusjh a period of more 
(ban one hundred and twenty years 

Ii is thought 1)3^ .some that there was no 
standing committee during the jiiistoiate of 
Mr. Williams. It \v;ls revived by iMr. 
Crocker, his successor. 

Mr. Eells was succeedeil in June 17, 1778, 
by Rev. Gershom Bulkley, the first pastor 
who did not dis in office. He was dis- 
mis£e<'l in lS(t8. 

The close of his pastorate marks the fiii-t 
period in the history of this church. It 
was a period of Somewhat formal cliurch 
life. Great sirens was laid upon some sort 
of connection with the chuich. Eveiybody 
must be 1 aptized. One was hardly fit for 
any civil posiiion if be was not a membei 
of liie (diuicli. In some ca-es he was in- 
eligible. Great eniiihasis v\as l.nid upon the 
conformity of the outward life to the prin 
ciples of the Gospel ; noi so much upon 
the spirituality of that life. 

This church duiing this period shows a 
slow but uniform growth. The peiiod of 
revivals had not come. The tiverage annu- 
al additions by profession and renewal of 
covenant (profeS'^ion, 8; renewal, G;) was 
nine and one-half (9i) during Mr. Eells 
pastorate of 88 years, and a trifle over nine 
during that of Mr. Culkley's, of 28 ^ear.'■, 
tprofefsion, 2.o; renewal, ().5). There 



10 



was little variation in the reception of 
these members. Not one year passed with- 
out receiving members either by full con- 
fession or renewal of covenant. 

I here insert a summary of additions for 
this period and down to date (1870). 



ADDED UNDER JOSEPH SMITIl's PASTORATE. 

1715-1736. 21 years. 
By Profession, 
" Letter, 



53 
21 



Total, 
Average, 3 5. 



74 



EDWARD EELT,S' PASTORATE. 

1738-177G. 38 years. 

By Profession, 116 

" Renewal, 227 

" Letter, 17 

Total, 360 

Average, 9.5 nearly. 

GERSHOM BULKLEY's PASTORATE. 

1778-1805. 28 years. 

By Profession, 69 

'• Renewal, 176 

" Letter, H 



z. Crocker's pastorate. 
1833-1847. 14 years. 
By Profession, 95 

" Letter, 49 

Total, 144 

Average, 10. 

GEORGE A. Bryan's pastorate. 
1849-1857. 8 years. 



By Profession, 
" Letter, 

Total, 
Average, 8. 

.(AMES A. CI-ARlv's PASTOUATE. 

1858 1863. 5 years. 
By Prrfession, 
" Letter, 

Toial. 
Average. 12 

W. K. HAM.'S PASTOKATK. 

1864-1865. I year. 
By Protession, 
" Letter, 

Total, 
Average, 5. 

II. o. i.add's pa.stohate. 
1865-1-67. 2 years. 
By Profession, 
" Letter, 

Total, 
Average, 17. 

t. m. miles' pastorate. 
1868-1870. 2 years. 



33 

34 

67 



47 
15 

62 



23 
11 

34 



Total, 






256 


By Profession, 


10 


Average, 9. 








" Letter, 


10 


J. L. Williams' 


PASTORATE 




Total, 


20 


1809-1832. 


23 


years. 




Average, 10. 




y Profession, 






210 


A. C. lirUD's PASTORATE. 




" Letter, 






21 


1871-1873. 2 years. 




Total, 

Avpraoffi 10, 






231 


By Profession, 
" Letter, 


10 
12 



Total, 22 

Avera'j;e, 12. 

M. S. DI'DI.Ey's PASTORATE. (UNFINISHED.) 

1874-1876. 2 years. 
By Profession, '^ 

" Letter, ^^ 



Total, 
Average, 10. 



21 



n 



AGGIJEOATE. 




By rrofcssii'ii. 


t;75 


" Renewal, 


411:] 


" Letter, 


21:5 



Total, 



i,2;ti 



Lesstlioso added liy renewal, 408 

Avcraiie acUlitinn, incliKliii^ renewal?, 
.S.12. 

Averaue addition, eNeludins renewal?, 
;■).<). 

This is for 159 (exacily '\o^} y arp. 
Two (2) years, 1777 and 1800, m which 
there whs no record, are taken out of the 
total ot nil years, or ItJOi exactly. 

It must lie reinemherc'i that Rev. J. 
Smith's period (I715-l7o(j) is very mea^iier 
ly reported. 

liEVlVAL PERIOD. 

The period whieh follows is marked :is 
ti.e period of revivals. There is an in- 
crease of the average additions, hut they 
are very unequally disiributed tlirougii the 
years. Durina: Mr. Williams' pastora'e 
(1809-1802. 20 years) 210 weie received 
f)n profession of faith ; 110 of these were 
received in three separate years (1818, 49 ; 
1827, 44; 18:J1, 27). 

During Mr. Crocker's pastorate, (1883- 
1847. 14 years) ninety five were receivid 
on profession ot faith, eighty-seven daring 
four separate years, (1834, 15 ; 1837, 20; 
1841, 22 ; 1843, 30) eight during the re- 
maining ten years. Six years there were 
r.o additions by profession. 

In the pa^'torates following ^Ir. Crocker's, 
tliere is more evenness in the annual addi- 
tions. These years in the history of this 
church correspond to the period of the 
greatest revival activity in our countrj*. 
It, was the time of Nettleton, (who was 
here in the winter of 1817-18), and Finney 
and their co-laborers. 

Another feature is noticeable in collating 



the additions, lo this { liiirch. II is tlie in- 
crease ot the numl.ers received by Utter 
from other chuiches. This is no doubt 
due to the freouent chaimes in the 
population of our New England communi- 
ties. Whim and necess-ity, together with 
the easy and ia|)id means of inter-commu- 
nication, are fast brr.iking up the slendy- 
goinir habits of the people. 

Daring Mr. EelN' pastorate only seven- 
teen were received by letter; (17 in 38 
yeni's), less than one in two years. 

During Mr. Bulkley's, elev> 11 in tweidy- 
eight years. 

During Mr. V\'illiains. tweniy-oie in 
twenty-three years. 

During Mr. Crocker's. f.)rly-nine in four- 
teen years. 

During Hir. Bryan's, ihirty-four in eight 
years. 

A careful record of the dismissions from 
ih's to other churches would show, 1 think, 
a ^orresiionding increase in the migr-ttions 
from this to other eomrnunilies. 

HKVOI.rTloNAUV I'EHIOD. 

Returning for a little to the rev )lutioiiaiy 
period of our history, those who looked 
upon our town and the adjacent country, 
saw a great iniprovemeut upon the wild 
and rugged scenes looked upon by those who 
succeeded Sawheag and hi'< Indian braves. 
John Adams, in 1771, during a journey 
from Boston to Philadelphia, whieh took 
fifteen days by horseback, struck tlie Con- 
necticut river at Enfidd. As he passed 
down the river through Windsor, Hart- 
ford and Wethersfield he writes: "This 
is the finest ride in America, I believe. 
Nothing can exceed the beauty and fertility 
of the country.'' But 1 he finest prospect 
of all still awaited him. As he came out 
upon the brow of Prospect Fliil, the river 
with its meadows of surpassing richness, 
Chatham, Durham, Westfield Heights and 
the distant mountains la}'' before him. 



12 



Even tlic cool Adams' blood was warmed, 
" Middlctovvn, I Ihink, is the most beauti- 
ful of all." 

A few years later. Dr. Timolliy Dwight, 
President of Yale College, Sept. 1796, 
thus describes tlie scenery as lie looked up- 
on it from the Soutiiward. "Immediately 
North of the city, lies an extensiv(; interval, 
through whici) runs a large mill stream. 
Beyond i!, a distance of thiee miles, ap- 
pears in full view on the Southern declivi- 
ty of a fine eminence, the handsonie vil- 
lage called the Upper Houses." In a f w 
days Dr. Dwight passed through this fine 
village, and thus describes it from h nearer 
point of view. " The Parish, called Up- 
per Houses, is a beautiful tract of fertile 
land. The village which bears this name, 
and contains a considerable pnrtof ihe in- 
haliitants, is a thrifty settleuient on the 
Southern declivity of a beautiful iiill. The 
houses, about eighty in nunibei', are gener- 
ally well budt ; and the whole place wears 
an airof sprightliness and prospeiity. An 
advantageous trade is carried on by the in- 
habitants ; particularly witii the West In- 
dies." 

PATUIOTISM OF FPPER MIDDI.ETOWN-. 

From tlie beginning and throughout the 
period of the Pevolution, Middletown took 
a warm and aclive interest in Ihe struggle 
for independence. Mer sons were in the < 
earliest struggles, at Ticonderoga, at Bun- 
ker Hill, at Ihe seige of Boston, anrl wiih 
Arnold in his disastrous Quebec expedition. 
This part of tlie town, so far as the records 
and scanty and ra|)i(lly fading traditions 
liave aided my investigation!^, sliaied the 
patriotic enthusias-ni and bore its part in 
the struggle. 

I give the names of thirty-seven natives 
and citizens of tiiis place who were active- 
ly engaged in the military movement?. 
Miiiiy of them died in II. e !=(rvice. 

Asher Bidden. A pensioner. 



Samuel Clark. Baptized Jlay 22, 1743. 
Private. 

Nathan Edwards. Baptized Nov. l-t. 
174:2. Private. Died in prison in New 
York. 

David Edwards. A Trooper in the Can- 
ada expedition. 

Churchill Edwards. 

Edward Eells. Baptized Aug. IG, 1741. 
Captain. Major. Family helped by the 
town during liie term of his service. 

Samuel Eells. Baptized Jan. 13, 1744. 
Captain. At time of entering service was 
pastor of the Congregational* CJhurcii in 
North Branford. Moved by an earnest 
appeal from General Washington, he urized 
his people to rally for the country's defence 
one Sabbath morning. At the close of the 
day's services, he took command of a com- 
pany of sixty men and went to New York. 

John Hands. A wheelwright in the Rev- 
olution. 

Abijah Kirby. Private. Died July 22, 
1782, in prison in New York. 

.Jiihn Pratt. Born in Hartford. Cap'aiu 
in the Revolution. 

Joseph Hanney. Private. Died in prisnn 
in New York on or beb)re Julv 22, 1782. 

John Robin.son. Killed at Norwalk, 
1779. 
/ Comfort 8an;e. Son of Ebenezer, grand- 
son of John, of innnerous ]iosterity ( iSi) •.\\, 
the time of his death). Captain. Colonel. 
(General of Militia). A citizen of Middle- 
town, and a meml)er of the North Cliurcli 
after his return from the war. 

NailiJnSage. Son of Anuis. Baptized 
Aug. 23. 1752 Renewed Ba[)lisma! Cov- 
enant Nov. 21, 1773. In the privateering 
servic"', then the U. S. Navy. While the 
British were blorkading New York, Sige, 
as C'aptain on a vessel, ran a ca'go of pow- 
d.'r into port after a sharp race with two 
B.itish cruiser.-. Was received by Con- 
grcs; then in session in New York. After 



13 



Ulio war Captain Sage was appointed Col- 
lector of the Port of Osvve.u.., N. Y., which 
position he held till his death, about ISoo, 
<'i,L;l)ty-t'our }'eiirs old. 

Elisha yage. Son of Amos. Baptized 
Aug. 17, 1755. Private. 

William Sage. Son of Amos. Btiptized 
Jan. 11, 1749. In battle of Hunker IlilL 
Captain. 

Epaphras Sage, liaptized Oct. Ifi, 1757. 
Private. After the war, was Ensign, 
Lieutenant and Captain of the Militia. Died 
May 28, 1834, aged 77. 

MaUhew Sage. Killed m battle in 1776. 

Benjamin Sage. With Arnold in the 
Quebec campaign. 

Simeon Sage. Son of Dea. Solomon 
Sage. Three years in the service. 

David Sage, Jr. Died from wounds re- 
ceived at Quebec, I77G. 

Daniel Sage, With Arnold in the Que- 
bec campaign. 

Hosea Sage. Died in service in 1781, at 
West Point. 

Abijah Savage. Baptized July 24, 1744. 
tServed as Society's Committee in 1773. 
Was among the first to take up arms. 
Served as Lieutenant, commanding a com- 
jsany with Arnold in his expedition through 
jVIaine to Quebec. Bi-andige, of B<Mlin, a 
Private in his company, used to tell Justu? 
Stocking, my informant, that " No man 
possessed more capacity and enduraoce in 
getting supplies and in pushing forward the 
expedition." He became Captain later in 
the service. His family was helped by the 
town during the time of his service. After 
his return. Captain Savage repeatedly acted 
as Moderator of the Society's meetings, 
and represented the town in the Legisla- 
ture. 

Josiah Savage. Born Feb. 17G0. Bap- 
tized Jan. 11, 1761. Was very young, 17 
years old, when enlisted in 1777, taking 
ihe place of an older brother, who was fee- 
5)le. 

Nathaniel Savage. Born in 1745. Bap- 



tized Oct. 27, 1745. In the privateer ser 
vice. He died Nov. 11, 1823, 79 years 
old. Mr. Savage was at one time a cap- 
tive on board of a British Prison Ship. 
During a remarkably cold season, when 
the Long Island Sound was frozen over, he 
escaped from a cabin window of the ship 
and made his way out of the British territo- 
ry npf<n the ice. 

Caleb Sheldon. A pensioner. Moved 
soon after the war to Northern Vermont. 

James Smith. Captain. Died in prison 
in New York. Heard of death Feb. 20, 
1780. Captain Smith served as Collector 
of the Society in 1775. In November of 
that year he was released from ihat office. 

Samuel Smith. Died in prison in New 
York. Heard of death July 7, 1780. 

Nathaniel Stocking. Died in prison in 
New York. 

James Stocking. Died in prison in New 
York. The date is about June 4, 1782. 

Samuel Stow. Baptized Aug. 18, 1745. 
Renewed Baptismal Covenant July 10, 
17(19. A Seaman. Served as privateer. 
Killed April 12, 1780. A singular story is 
told in connection witn Mr. Stow's death. 
A son of Mr. Stow, a mere child, was 
playing in the yard of the house, standing 
just on the other side of the street from the 
Congregational Church, a little North per- 
haps. His heart was as full of the joy of 
Spring and the love of life as would be the 
heart of any boy of tJ-day, when he sud- 
denly rusiied into the liouse, exclaiming 
" Mama, the red coats have killed papa, I 
saw it." The time was noted. Subsequent 
news confirmed the bf)y's virion. This 
event caused a great sensation. It seems 
to be a well authenticated tradition. A 
descendant of the Stow family is my 
authoritj'. 

Jonathan Stow Baptized 1748. Pri- 
vate. Early in the service. Took part in 
the seige of Boston in 1775. 

Hugh White. Born Jan. 25, 1733. 
Served as Collector of the Society and Mod- 



14 



erator of tbe Society's meetings. Commis- 
sary flurinir the Revolutionary War. In 
1784 left Upper Houses for Central New 
York, just west of Utica. A lar^e section 
was callid Whitestown. This srction in- 
cluded all of New York State West of a 
line running North and South through Uti 
ca. In 1792 this section contained (i,000 
inhabitants. Judge White lived to see it 
containing over oOO, 000. He was Judge 
of Herkimer County and Oneida County. 
He died April 16, 1812, aged 79. 

Reuben White. Born March 10, 1765. 
Died in prison in New York City, al)out 
June, 1783. 

A*a Wilcox. Heard of death at Weft 
Point, Sept. 30, 1781. 

Ehphalet Wilcox. Born 1761. Bap- 
tized Sept. 1761. A Privateer, Died May 
21, 1839, aged 78. 

Amos Wilcox. Baptized Oct. 23, 1757. 
Was pr. sent at the surrender of Burgoyne. 
Oct. 17, 1777. 

There is som-.'. uncertainty in regard to 
the parish in Middletovvn to which some of 
the above named belonged. Nathaniel 
Stocking and James Stocking mny have be- 
longed to what is now called Cobalt or 
Middle Haddani. General Comfort Sage 
was proliably never a resilient in Upper 
Middletown Society. The opinion is that 
Ebenezer, Lis father, moved to ihe city 
ciirly in life. Abner Sage if thought to 
l.ave belonged to Portland. 

After reading of so many ab having died 
in New York prisons, we :ire prepared lo 
accept the following account of the sulfer- 
ings of American prisoners. It is from a 
lelier of a " prisoner of distinction," a na- 
tive of Connecticut, dated New York, 
Dec. 26, 1776: 

'• The distress of the prisoners cannot be 
communicated by words. Twenty or thir- 
ty die every day; they lie in heaps un- 
buried. What numbers of my countrymen 
have died by cold and hunger, perished for 



the want of the ncces-arles of life. 1 have 
seen it." 

Samuel Clark stated to the Assembly 
that he was one of the unfortunate men 
taken at Fort Washington and confined in 
New York until December, 1776, and then 
with others, nearly dead, liberated on pa- 
role. Could not some of the soldiers of 
the Civil War repeat these words in de- 
scribing tlieir experience in Southern 
prisons. 

Among the familv names represented are 
those of Edwards, Eells, Kirby, Ranney, 
Sage, Savage, Sheldon, Smith, Stow, 
White, Wilcox, Hands and Pratt. Eight 
of these died in New York prisons. Fur- 
ther investigation might add to the Rev- 
olutionary Roll of Honor. 

The ditliculty of completing this listsug 
gested the desirableness of making a Roll of 
Honor for the Oivil War while its mem- 
ories were fresh. For this purpose a Com- 
raitlee was appointed by the town in 
the Fidl of 1876, to prepare a list of the 
citizens of this town who participated in 
the Civil W^r— 1861-1865. Messrs. Ralph 
B. Savage, Elisha Sage and David Edwards 
were this committee. They made an in- 
teresting report at the next annual meet- 
ing, embodying ihe roll of soldiers and 
many other interesting historical facts. 
The report was accepted and ordered to be 
entered upon the town records. This list 
will be given further on. 

MEMBERSHIP OF THE CHUKCH. 

Resuming the religious hi.-tory ot this 
community, there have been connected 
with this church, as shown by the records, 
quite full except for tbe tirst twenty one 
years, by profession of faiih, bj' renewal of 
covenant, and by letter, the total number 
of one thousaud two hundred and ninety- 
one (1,291), distributed as follows: — By 
profession, six liundred and seventy-five ; 
by renewal of covenant, tour hundred and 
three ; by letter, two hundred and thirteen. 



15 



The total membership, beside renewals, has 
rcach(!(l eight hundred and eighty eight 
July 4th, 1870. The average additions 
lor one hundred vind titty-nine years — this 
exclurles two years in which there were no 
records from tlie whole period of one hun- 
dred and sixty-one years — is 8.12. Exclu- 
ding renewals the average is o.!), almost 
six. 

The nview is hopeful. The lute yearis 
of the church are belter than the former. 
There has been a pretty uniform incn-ase 
in the average of additions. The facts do 
not confirm the croakings of those who de- 
cry tlie present ;is conipared with the past. 
There is in almost every life a period of 
haleyon days, when scenes and events 
assume a biightness and prosperity they 
never had before and never equal afterward. 
The light that is about them " is the light 
that never was on sea or land." 

" If all was good and fair we met 
This earth had been the Paradise 
It never looked to human eyes 

Since Adam left his garden yet. 

And is it that the haze of grief 

Makes former gladness loom so great? 
The lowness of the present state 

Tliat sets the past in this relief? 

Or that the past will always win 
A glory from its being far; 
And orb into the perfect star 

We saw not when we moved therein? " 

Yet in this matter ot growth and broad- 
eniniT activities this church has no ground 
of boasting. It onlj' moves in the current 
of deepening lifeand widening influence that 
bears onward the whole church of Christ 
of whatever name. 

The enlargement of the- iictiviiits of this 
chuicli, tlie next point of attention, is only 
an illu^tn^tion of a wide spread awakening. 

The earl}^ part of this century marked a 
period of profound religious awakening. 
Men awoke to a deeper consciousness of 
sin. Dr. Edvvards, Dr. Emmons, and Dr. 
Nettletoii, hud sown seed and were sowing 
seed that was striking deep roots into the 



hearts and consciences of the Americau 
church and people. Powerful religious 
awakenings were the result. This church 
shared in these movements. It has had re 
vivHls at frequent intervals down to the 
present time. 

Following these awakenings there has 
been increased interest and activit}' in re- 
ligious and evangelistic work. 

THE SUXDAY SCHOOL. 

From very early times the Assembly's 
Catechism was tauglit in the District 
Schools in this Slate. The time for reci- 
tation was upon Saturday noon, as the clos- 
ing exercise of the week. Afier there 
were other denominations than those who 
accepte<l the Asst mbiy's ('alechism, and 
before the establishment of Sunday Schools, 
each denomination used in the Day School 
a Catechism to meet its peculiar views. 
This practice would of course leid to more 
or less friction, which was finally removed 
by hMnsferring the Catechisms to the Sun- 
day Schools. It was to this cause that uhe 
Sunday School owes its origin in many 
New England towns. 

The Sunday School of this church was 
organized in 1817 or 1818, the time of the 
great revival under Dr. Nettleton. 

Its sessions were held in the morning at 
nine o'clock, in the school house on the 
Green, South of the Baptist Church. Th<^ 
services consisted in answering the ques- 
tions of tlie Catechism and the recital of 
passages of Scripture and hymns ccjmmil- 
tL'd to memory. A certain number of 
verses so learned and recited eniitled the 
scholar to the reward of a oook at the end 
of the session, closing with the coming of 
winter, proportioned in value to the num- 
ber of verses recited. One teacher recol- 
lects a pupil who would recite more than 
one hundrid veises at a lesson, taking up 
nearly the wliole session. 

After a time the school was transferred 



16 



to the church and sandwiched between tlie 
morniny; and ifternoon services. 

Tiie first superintendent, so tar as I can 
ascertain, in the absence of written records, 
was Dea. Rufus Sai;e, and Miss Ursuli 
Smith, Assistant Superintentient. The 
teachers of the Academy, {generally sup- 
plied from Yale College, were sometimes 
chosen Superintendents. The following 
members among others of this church have 
served as Superintendents : Jairus Wil- 
cox, William B. Stocking, afterwards mis- 
sionary to the JNestorians, Richard Warner, 
G. S. T. Savage, A. S. Gecr, John ^trv- 
ens. Win. M. Noble, and Geo. H. Butler. 

The following reminiscences oi (nieof tne 
earliest t^up?rintenden1s, Jairns Wilcox, are 
furnished me by Rev. Dr. Savage of Chi- 
cago : — Failing in mercantile business, Mr. 
Wilcox afterward consecrated himself to 
the ministry. When pnisning his Theo- 
logical studies in Yale Seminary, he spent 
the V\ inter vacation in this village, and on 
his way back to New Haven he became 
deeply impressed that he ought not to re- 
turn without attempting lo lead some one 
to Christ, lie turned back and spent the 
day in visiting six young l.dies, securing 
from each a promise Ihat they would to- 
gether call upon Mr. Williams, the Pastor, 
for n-ligious conversation. The result was 
the conversion of the six. It was the be- 
ginning of the revival of 18:]1 2, in wliich 
large numbers were convirted. After a 
brief settlf-ment in Bethany, Conn , he 
moved to Western New York, where his 
labors were greatly blessed. From tiiere 
li(- went witti a Colony, as their Past'ir, to 
settle Geneseo, III., where he founded a 
church, which has grown to be one of the 
largest and best of the village churches in 
the State, and an Academy, where hun- 
dreds have received a Christian education. 
Afterward he removed to Chicago and es- 
tablished the Bethel Church. In 1852 he 
died of cholera in Cliicai;;o. 



This is one of the rillsof influence which 
have gone out from this Sunday School. 

The school, since 1837, has contributed 
annually to the cause of missions, being 
moved to begin this work by the influence 
of ]\Ir. Stocking. These C(nitribntions from 
1837 to 1876, amount to $984.87. 

THE PKAYEK MEETING. 

The weekly Pra3^er Meeting was another 
outgrowth of renewed interest. It was 
also established about 1818 or 1S19. It 
was held on Saturday evening, in a large 
ball chamber in the house now^ occupied by 
Mr. Stocking on Freestone street. 

According to the recollections of one, 
the Saturday evening Prayer Meeting was 
held alternately at the houses of Dea. Ru- 
fus Sage and Mr. Samuel Wilcox till about 
182t>. For some time thereafter it was 
held at the house now occupied 1)3' Mr. 
Wm. R. McDonald. It seems certain that 
the place of holding this meeting was not 
fixed till the building now occupied by the 
High School was erected, the upper room 
of which was especially designed for the 
devotional meetings of this church, unless 
needed for school purposes. Since 1874 the 
Prayer Meeting has been held in the base- 
ment of the church. 

This meeting was well attended at the 
time of its organization, and is remembered 
with interest by those who frequented it. 

BENEVOLENT WORK OF THE CHURCH. 

The church has shown its interest in 
evangelistic work labors at home and 
abroad through its systematic efforts in 
supportinsr missions and other evangelizing 
agencies. 

Benevolent and iMissiouary organizations 
connected with the Congregational Church, 
Cromwell. 

CKOMWELL TRACT .SOCIETY. ( DxiON. ) 

Date of nrganizalion, June 11, 1852. 

First record of officers: — President, Mrs. 
Mary E. Bryan ; Vice-President, Mr?. Ed- 
win Ranney. Secretary and Treasurer, Miss 



17 

Mary G. Ravage. Willi Committee of two 
and nine Collectors. 

Number of members in 18.52, 180. 

Number of distributors in 1852, 29. 

First collection, 1122.53. 

Last collection, $24.11. 

Aggregate of collection?, $439.97. 

Average annual collections, $19.33. 

M0XTI1I.Y CONCERT CM)N'rUIBL"TIONS FKOM 

1834 TO 1875. 
From 1834 to 180(5 inclusive, these con- 
tributions were sent to the treasurj^ of the 
A. B. C. F. M. 

From 18li7 onward tney were divided, 
generally equally, between Foreign and 
Home Missions. 

First contribution, (1834), $10.18. 
Last undivided contribution (I860) $20.- 
62. 

Largest undivided contribution, (18G5), 
$34.50. 

First divided collection, (1867), Home, 
$17.68. Foreign, $12.81. Total, $30.49. 
Last dividedcontribution, (1875), Home, 
$15.18; Foreign, $15.18. Total, $30.36. 
Largest divided contribution, (1874), 
Home, $23.90; ForeigP, $23.90. Total, 
$47.80. 

Total to Hvme Missions, $145.82. 
Total to Foreign Missions, $820 98. 
Total Concert collections, (41 years), 
$966.80. 

Annual average, $23.58. 
In 1834 a gold ring was contributed. 
In 1835 $2.00 was given by a lady. 
In 1837 $19.48 was given by Ladies Be- 
nevolent Association, for Nestorians. 

In 1870 $48 was given by Ladies Benev- 
olent Association for the same object. 
Total, $(i9.48and a goUl ring. 

GEXTLE.MKNS FOHEIGN MISSIONARY AS.SOCIA- 
TION. 

Organized Sept. 1834. 

President, Dr. I{ichard Warner; Vice- 
President, Israel Russell ; Secretary and 
Trvasurer, William R. Stockinir. 



First collection, $28.50. 
Last collection, $52.45. 
Largest collection, (1864) $89. 
Aggregate collection, (41 years), $1,- 
995.92. 

Average annual collection, $48.68. 

LADIES FOKEIGN MISSIONAHY A.SSOCIATION. 

Organized Sept. 1834. 

President, Mrs. E. P. Crocker;' Vice- 
President, Mrs. Mary M. Warner; Secreta- 
ry and Treasurer, Miss Margaret Sage. 

First collection, $21.37. 

Last collection, $54.30. 

Largest collection, (1852), $70.25. 

Aggregate collection, (41 years), $1,- 
857.46. 

Average annual collection, $45.30. 

CONTRlUrTIONS TO HOME MISSIONS, FKOM W. 
n. MOORE's STATISTICS. 

The Missionary Society of Connecticut 
was organized in 1798, and began in 
1879 to appeal to the churches for home 
missions, and I have the record of this 
church on this cause of home missions 
for 1799-1876, 78 yeai-s, in 65 of which 
the church gave and the total is as follows: 
Boxes. $ 336 79 

Contributions, 3.487 27 

$3,82406 

Contributions of Sundny School to be- 
nevolent objects were first recorded in 
1837. 

Thatyear(1837) the arnount was $10.21. 
JNo year exceeded $10 (1853 was exactly 
that amount) till 1860, when the amount 
was $23.35. 

Evidently a new method of taking the 
contributions was adopted from this year, 
1860, for they never dropped down to the 
old figures. 

The smallest collection, (1847), $4.13. 

Tlie largest collection, (1870), $73.40. 

Total from 1837 to 1859, inclusive, 
$151.56. 

Average for 22 years, $6.89. 

Total from_1860 to 1876, $833.31. 



18 



Average tor 16 years, $52.08. 
Total from 1837 to 1876, $984.87. 
The marked increase in the contribu- 
tions from 1860 onward, is doubtless due 

to the change to the system of contributing 

by clasf^es, and of awarding a banner totlie 

leading class. 

The aggregate of contribution?' to benev- 
olent objects so far as shown by the church 

and various society records: 

(Jromwel! Tract Societ}', (Un- 
ion), 

Gentlemens' Missionary Asso- 
ciation, (Foreign), 

Lidies' Missionary Associa- 
tion, (Foreign), 

Olher contributions to Foreign 
Missions, (special), 

Montiily Concert, 

Home Missions, 

American Missionary Associa- 
tion, 

American Bible Society, 

Americ:in Tract Society, 

Auorican Foreign Ciuistin 
Union, 

American College and Educa- 
tion S(jciety, 

Church Building Society, 

Seamen's Friend Society, 

Sunday Sciiool Benevolent 

Contributions, 984.87 



Total, $12,797.2(5 

In all, the benevolent contributions ( f 
this Church and Sunda}' SchtK>l reach tie 
total sum of twelve thousiiud seven hundred 
ninety-seven dollars and Lwenty-six cents 
$12,797.26). 

IVIention should le niaCe in this connec- 
tion of the Cromwell Tract Society. It is 
a union society, organized for the purpose 
of disseminating religious trn h through 
this community. 

EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OF THE TOWN. 

This historical survey is incomplete with- 
out some allusion to the educational inter- 



ests of this people. There is not time for 
this review. It must be passed over with 
the single remark that the early inhabitants 
had the traditional New England attach- 
ment to the common school. 

I cui only msert tlie following tables to 
tell the story of growth in school children 
and to show the need of a corresponding 
growth in interest : 

SCHOOL CHILDREN IN ATTENDANCE UPON THE 
SCHOOLS IN CROMWELL DURING THE WIN- 



$ 439.97 


TER OF 1814—15, AND ON JAN 

1875 and 1876, 


• h 


1,99.5.92 




1814-15. 




Lower School, 


120 


1,8.57.46 


Nortii School, 


51 




Nooks School, 


16 


69.48 


Birch School, 


45 


966.80 


Nor'h-West School, 


45 


.8,824.06 




277 


74.5.10 

384.46 
882.11 


1875 

North Sciiool, 12H 
North-West School, 61 
West (Birch) School, 109 


1876 

1 82 

6+ 

99 


1 75. 80 


Center School, 88 


76 




South (Lower) School, 121 


IK) 


397.60 
1.52.00 

72.18 


497 

SUMMARY. 


4S7 



Winter 1814-15, 277 

.Ian. 1, 1K75, 417 

.Tan. 1, lK7ti, 487 

A (areful hi.story of the Academy, which 
n 'eds a historian to write its story, now a 
s ory of the past, would show that higiur 
e lucatioh has not been neglected. Among 
it gr.iduates, some of whom got within its 
roims an int( liectual stimulus that carried 
them through a collegiate course, have been 
not a few men of escellent character and 
prominent influence. 

There is not time to speak particulirly 
of the excxdlent !)astors, Eells, Williams 
and Cuxker, whose lite-work was done 
with this people. Tliey were earnest, de- 
voted men. Williams and Ciocker wer.i 



19 



talicn awa}' in the prime of their manhood. 
Tlu'ir pastorate, with that of BulUley, 
ramc in the time of great commercia! pros- 
perity. It was a time when comfort and 
<'aFe Tas taking the place of the iianiships 
3ind privations of the early iahahitants. 
They were men welt fitted to turn the en- 
friiy and wealth of the community, in no 
stinted measure, to the promotion of its in- 
telleeual and moral interests. Nor is there 
time to speak of the sons of Cromwell wlio 
have done credit nt home and abroad to its 
care for their development. Indeed th« 
necessity of reviewing the whole pericxi of 
the existence of this church, from the want 
of any previous!}'' published review, has 
compelled me to take a most meagre and 
cursory glance at only tlie most prominent 
*-venls. 

coxcT.rsiox. 
It is with devout thanksgiving to God 
that you should review the past history of 
this coi'imunity. He has not led this 
church through any bitter and Hlicnating 
<t)utroversie«. There have been cases of 
trying and annoying discipline. There 
have been, no doubt — though the records 
show little or nothing of them — and there 
are still, cases of personal estrangement. 
These are to lie deplored ; but you cannot 
he too grateful that no review, however 
<areful and exhaustive, has to make apolo- 
jiies — as is too true of many historical re- 
views — for periods of bitter strife over pome 
iTiJitter so pitiably small and trifling, at the 
distance of a tew years, as to be laughal'le, 
lie has made this church a restraining and 
conserving influence in this community. It 
lias not met the measure of its responsibili- 
ty. In eacli period it has partaken some- 
what of the tinie''s looseness; but it has 
iver been ready to follow higher lights and 
wortliier guidance. It has been a leader ia 
5dl improving influences. May it so con- 
tmue. Mav its hands and feet never be 



fettered by the chains of unworthy prece- 
dent. 

He has made this church a power in the 
work of evangelizing the world. Not only 
has it stood here, occupying a little spot in 
the world of life, but it has also sent forth 
men and money to work for Christ in other 
regions. 

This church, I am mindful, in late j'ears 
hns not occupied the whole field. Tbe 
same pressure that has excluded so much 
interesting matter has prevented even an 
allusion to our sister churches. It is not 
indilFerenee but necessity which compels 
tliis. This is a Congregational Church and 
welcomes faithful unselfish worii for Christ 
everywliere and always. I present this re- 
view in no spirit of laudation. 

The presentation of the facts indicates a 
commendable degree of faithfulness on the 
part of the imst generations. 

Let us go forward into the coming cen- 
tury encouraged t)y the record of the. past, 
lifted up in hope and energy by the prom- 
ise of the future. 

Let us not be afraid of change where 
change seems desirable and promises in- 
creased fervor and influence. Let us en- 
large our agencies tor promoting Christ's 
kingdom where occasion demands and op- 
portunity is given, as did our fathers. 

'" Far down the ages now. 

Much of her jouiney done. 
The pilgrim chui«h pursue.s her way. 

Until her crown be -won. 

The story of the past 
Comes up before her view; 

How well it seems to suit her .still- 
Old, and yet ever new ! 

TJius onward still we press. 
Through evil and through good. 

Through pain and poverty and want, 
Thixmgh peril and through blood. 

Still faithful to our God, 

And to our Captain true, 
AVe follow where He leads the way. » 

The kingdom in our view." 



21 



ADDENDA. 



This account of Croiriwell is rather ma- 
terial for a history than a hi>tor)'. Tliere 
would have been a great gain from a liter- 
al y and rhetorical point of view in keeping 
the discourse, as it was prepared and de- 
livered, sepaiate from the notes. It was 
difficult to do this wliile running it llirough 
a wiekly journal as a serial. At tiie last 
moment, it was decided to blend the ser- 
mon and notes m the best manner possible 
witliout going over the ground anew, and 
rewriting the whole. 

The result is not entirely satisfactory. 
But the end much to be desued is gained, 
that of puiting mud) valuable information 
in respect to tlie his:orv of this towp, 
which it has taken great labor and re searcli 
to get together, into such a shape that it 
can be preserved and disseminated. The 
occasion which called for this work, the 
appeal of the State Conference that the pas- 
tors of the churclies througiiout ihe 
state should prepare a history of their 
resiective cliarges for Centennial year 
( 187t')), has confined me pretty closely to 
matters pertaining to tlie Congregational 
C. lurch. At my request, Kev. Hiury S. 
r teveiis of ilie Biipiisl C huicli ii;is pre| artd 
a sketch ot that organization, which is 
given beloA'. Mr. Elisl a Stevens has fur- 
nished me items for a brief sketch of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. The list of 
nativ;s and citizens who took pait in the 
Civil War to which allusion has been made, 
is given. Anil some other matters of in- 
lere-t worthy of consideration hiive been 
brought together in this Addenda. Also a 
few errors that cscai ed detection in course 
of publication from wiek to week have 
been corrected. 



SKETCH OF THE BAPTIST CnFRCIf. 

The Baptist Church of Cromwel! was 
f)rganized in 1802. Early in January of 
that year, several persons who were mem- 
bers of the Baptist Church in Hartford, 
met at the house of Eleazar Savage, to con- 
sider the propriety and feasibility of foim- 
ing a church of their own persuasion in 
this town. Later, Jan. 19th, at a prayer 
meeting held at the home of Comfort Ran- 
ney, the matter was farther considered and 
a decision made to ask the opinion of llie 
church in Hartford. Also a Committee, of 
two persons, was appointed to communi- 
cate with that body concerning forming a 
church here, and the 'iismission from it of 
its members resident here for that purpose. 
The Hartf..rd church favored the project 
and appointed a Committee to confer far- 
ther with the people here. Feb. (3th, the 
piople met, Dy arrangement, for the pur- 
pose of or:; anizing. Had, first, "a meet- 
ing for prayer, for wisdom and direction.'" 
Then, ' heard read the Confession of 
Faith." Then, "entered into Covenant 
relations as a churcli of Christ," to be 
called " The Second Baptist Church of 
Middletown." Those present on tliat oc- 
casion uniting to constitute the church 
numbered sixteen persons, seven men and 
nine women. Their names were as fol- 
lows:— Ekazar Savage, Stephen Treat, 
Juhri Tre;it, Cun;fort Eaniiey, Timothy 
Savage, Josiah Graves, Wilb.rd Ranney, 
Sarah Savage, Molly Savage, Mary Ran- 
ney, Ruth Ranney 1st, Ruth Ranney 2d, 
Percy SHvayp, Rachel NMlco.x, Sally Sav- 
age, Betsey Treat. 

Timolliy Savage was elected Clerk of the 
Church. 



21 



Miirrli 20tli (lie church "adopted 'Arti- 
cles of Faith," those coiiiinonl}^ known as 
the New Hampshire Confession of Faith " 
Social conference and prayer meetings were 
lield at the dwellings of the people for 
some time prior to and siihscquent to the 
forming of the church, and occasionally 
some minister preached at these meetings, 
but tlie first " call "' to any one to perform 
ministerial labor among them was given 
April 8, 1808, when the church " asreed 
with Rev. Eber Motfat to preacii two-thirds 
of the time, and ao-rced to give him thirty- 
four pounds, to be divided among the 
brethren according to their abilities, after 
deducting wliatever may he secured by 
contribtttions. " 

Jan. 21, 1804, Rev. Nehemiah Dodge 
" was applied to to preach one half of the 
time for six months." June, 1805, Rev. 
Daniel VVildman "agreed to preach for the 
church ou'^-half of the time durins the en- 
suing year. " Ma}', 180(1, Mr. John Grant 
'•was engasred, for two imndrefl dollars, to 
peach one-fourth of the time." Soon 
after l)eginning to preach Mr. Grant was 
ordained. In May, 1808. he was " en- 
gaged to preach one-half of the time, and 
lie con'inued pastor of the body until July, 
1810. In 1817 Ri'V. i^'n'derick Wightman 
was called to the pa'-torate nnd continued 
as inini-terof theclmrch nnlil 18S2. Sub- 
sequently Mr. Wi'_ditman was paslor from 
1887 to 1889, niHking an aggregate pastoral 
can- of' seventeen years. L-iter he returned 
lo !l)i« town to reside and died here at a 
good old age. 

In 1808 the cliurch built a plain fianie 
eliHcefi.ra Meeling-House on the West 
Gp' en. and held their public meetings there 
nn'il 1883, when the h<iuse was moved to 
tiie central part ;)f Ihe villnge and placed 
on a lot ne.irly opposite the present site of 
the Post Office. Worship continued in 
tliis house until Nov. 3, 18."j3, on which 
da}' a new Imu.se of worship, locifed a lit- 



tle North of the old one, built during the 
pastorate of the Rev, C. VV. Potter and 
Lirgely through his instrumentality, was 
dedicated. This lalter edifice was remod- 
eled, somcwiiat, internally in 1872, and is 
the house of worship of the church at the 
present time. 

About three hundred and fifty persons 
have been in membership with the church 
most of them having joined by baptism on 
profession of their faith. For the latter 
ordinance nature has furnished a baptist- 
ery in the beautiful river flowing by the 
side of our town. 

Sabbath School work has been steadily 
done. The church has been favored with 
several "revival" seasons. The people 
have tried to aid in every good work they 
were able to. Have contributed often and 
according to their ability to missions and 
other charitable enterprises; and have 
gone (i-beggin(j but very little. 



A SKETCH OF TIIE METHODIST EPISCOPAL 
C'lURCH. 

One of the results of the reliirious awak- 
ening which occurred in 1857, was the 
formation of a Methodist Class of about 
twenty membeis. The revival interest 
from which this class sprung was confined 
principally to the part of the town known 
as The Plains. This was the beginning of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church. Its con- 
greiration worshipped for a time in an old 
church building formerly occupied by the 
Baptists. 

In the Fall of 1858 movements were 
made toward building a new church. In 
November of that year the edifice was com- 
menced, and in June, 1859, it was dedica- 
ted, Dr. Cummings of the Wesleyan Uni- 
versity preachintr the dedication sermon. 

Rev. Arza Hill, an active worker in the 



22 



revival mentioned above, and a graduate ol 
Wesleyan University, was tiie first pastor. 
Among tliofe who have served as pastors 
for one or two years besides Mr. Hill, are 
Rev. Messrs. Little, Wagner, Reynolds 
and A. C. Htevens. During most of tlie 
time, smce the establishment of the cliureh, 
the pulpit has been supplied with students 
from the University ut Middletowu. 



The following is the roil of otiicers and 
enlisted men, arranged in alphabetical or 
der. 

Tlie first man who enlisted fnr the war 
from Cromwell, was Artliur Boardnian. 
See below. 

Addis Charles. Musician. Enli>ted May 
22, 18(il. Discliarged .May 21, 1S(U. 

Addis Walter. Musician. Enlisted Anif. 
30th, I8f)2. Discharged Nov. 11, ISC.-l 

Allison Joiin D. Lieut. -Cnh^nel. En 
listed Oct. IS, 18(52. Discharged Sept. 
U), LSI];!. 

Allison R.ibert J. Enlisted Aug 12, 
18(i2. Died of woun.ls Sept. 9, Lsii-f, re- 
ceived at the battle of Peach Tree CreeU. 

Barnes Edmund D. P^nlisted Sept. {), 
1802. DisclMrged Sept. oO, 1>S(;;\ 

BckL-n Lewis. Eidisted Dec. 2<i, ISHo 
Died in service. 

Black Edward J. Kiilistcd Aug. 1:5, 
1862. Dit-ciiarged June l:i. LStio. 

Blackmm Charles. Ii:nli>ted Sept 4, 
18B1. Ke-enlis;ed as veieran March 7, 
1 S(M. 

Boardman Arthur. Enlisted Apiil 26, 
18(il. He-enlisted for three years Aug. 
11, l.S(i2 as Vet<ran Orderly Sergeant 
Prouioled to ind Lieutenant, March 22, 
LSii-i. Pronioied lo 1st Lieutenant Jan 7, 
18(i.l Discharged June l:), 18';r). 

B gue Enoch. Enlisted May 22, I SCI. 
D.scharged May 21, 18(U. 

Bevins Cli:irlcs T. Enis'ed Alay 22, 
l.Sfil. .MiisiLi-ed ui again Nov. Is, I SIJ:). 



Brainard Martin, V. B. Enlisted Aug. 
30, 18()2. Discharged Sept. 30, 1863. 

Brown Henry B. Enlisted Aug. 30, 
1862. Died March 2.5, 1863. 

Bull Law E. Enlisted Sept. 6, 1861. 
Promoted to Adjutant. Committed sui- 
cide Oct. 20, 1 862. 

Cary Thomas. Enlisted Sept. 10, 1862. 
Discharged Sept. 30, 1863. 

Clark Hiram. Enlisted Aug. 7, 1862. 

Clark Walter. Enlisted Sept. 7, 1861. 
Died of wounds June 21. 1864. 

Coe James. Enlisted Sept. 7, 1861. 
Re-enlisted as veteran Dec. 4, 1863. 

Eveland Nelson. Enlisted Sept. 9, 1862. 
Discharged Sept. 30, 1863. 

Fawthrop Ji.seph. Enlisted Aug. 14, 
1862. Discharged Feb. 16, 1863. 

Fenn James W. Enlisted May 22, 1861. 
Di-chaif^ed INIay 23, 1864. 

Fuller John C. Enlisted Aug. 22, 1862. 

Geer Heiuy S. Enlisted as 1st Sergeant 
Aug. 12, 1862, Died at Fairfa.\ Station, 
Ya.. Jan 17, lS(i3. 

Gilbert Halph. Enlisted Sept. 6, 1861. 
Promoted to Lieutenant Dec. 1, 1863. 

(Jriswold Sylvester. Enlisted Sept. 8, 
1S62 'I'ransterred to V. H. Corps May 8, 
lSi;4. 

iJaling Lewis. Enlisted May 22, 1861. 
Ke enlisted as veteran Nov. 16, 1»63. 
C.)mmi sinned 2nd LuutenMiit of Infantry 
— Colored Regimeni. 

Uartman Charles. Enlisted Aug. K!, 
lSti2. Discharged Dec. 1(1, 1862. 

Hayes Hiram F. Eidisted Sept. 13, 

1861. Ke-eulisted as veteran Die. 22, 
1S6:;. 

Hellentlirall Piiiiip. Ei listed Autr. 12, 

1862. Died Oct. 27, 1S,';2. 

Hubbard Daniel H. EnlisHd as Lieo- 
tenant May 22. ISdL Promoted to (^ap- 
tain June IT), 18(12. 

IInbi)anl Ch irles T. Enlisted Aug. 14, 
lS(i2. Tiansferrnl to Invalid Corps, Jan. 
23, isi;4. 



28 



niibbaid Frederick R. Enlisted March 
7. 18t52. Discharged. 

Hubbard John H. Enlisted Feb. i:?, 
18ti"2. Ke-enlisted as veteran Feb. 1(5, 
18(54. 

Hubbard Jeremiah Enlisted Aug. 18(52. 
Discharije;! at the close of the war June 
13, 18(55. 

Hutchinson John I. Enlisted Sergeant 
Sept. (5, 18(il. Promoted to 1st Lieuten- 
ant March 1, 1S()-1. 

Jont^s Wells. Enlisted May 22, 18(51. 
Re-enlisted as veteran Nov. 2(5, 1«(5:3. 

Knoblock Charles. Enlisted Aug. 12, 
18(;2. Transferred to Invalid Corps May 
1, 1S(U. 

Li(hler Frank. Enlisted Sept. 9, 18(52. 
nisciiJirged Sept. 3(1, 1S(5:>. 

Lincoln Daniel S. Enlisted Sept. 10, 
18R2. I)isei)arged Sept. 30, 180:3. 

Minor Charles R. 1st Heavy Artillery. 

Moose Joseph. Enlisted Aug. 30, 18(52. 
Discharged Sept. 30, 18(53. ' 

iSJearing Henry S. Enlisted S.-pt. 8, 
18(52. Discharged Sept. 30, 1863. 

Osboru Junes H. Enlisted Dec. 28, 
18(53. 

Paddock Sherniin. En'isted Aug. 12. 
18()2. Discharged June 13, 1805. 

F'addock Lumnn. Enlisted Aug. 30, 
18(52. Died July 27, 18(53. 

Prntield Charles T. Enlisted Ana;. 12, 
18i;2. Discharged Ht the close of the war 
JutH' 13. 1865. 

Palmer George H. Enlisted Aug. 12, 
1862. Discharged at the close of the war 
June- 13, 1865. 

Pvalph James. Enlisted Aug. 22, 1862. 
Di'^cliarged ^larch 17, 186-i. Causae, disa- 
bility. 

Ralp!) Tiila. Enlisted Sept. 15, 1862. 
Discharged Sept. 3(J, 1863. 

Robinson Stilbnan. Enlisted Sept. (5, 
1862. Di.scharged Sept. 30, 1863. 

Sage Eli-ha T. Enlisted 1863. Dis- 
cIiarT^ri Au:r. 1865. 



Sage George FT. Enlisted Aug. 12, 
1862. Discharged at the close of the war 
June 13, 1805. 

Sage John L. Enlisted Sept. 15, 1862. 
Discharged Sept. 30, 1863. 

Sage Newell L Enlisted Sept. 9, 1862. 
Discharged June (5, 1863. Cause, disabili- 

t.y- 

Sage Orrin P,, Enlisted Aug. 12, 1.S62. 
Discharged at the close of the war July 
13th, 1865. 

Savage Edward B. 1st Lieutenant. 
Enlisted Se|)t. 8, 1862. Di-charged Sejjt. 
30. 1803. 

Savage William. Eidisted Nov. 20, 
1801. Re-eulisted as veteran Jan. 1, 
1864. 

Sliipmaker George B. Enlisted Aug. 

12, 1802. Died of wounds May 23, 1803. 
Shnltz Frank. Enlisted Sept. 13, 1801, 

Re-enlisted as veteran Dec. 22, 1803. 

Simpson Timothy D. Enlisted May 22, 
1861. Dropped from the roll of the War 
Department Sept 21, 1863. 

Southwick Lyman. Enlisted Dec. 3, 
1861. Re enlisted Dec. 19, 1863. 

Stevens Henry S. Commissioned Chap- 
lain 14fh C. V. Auar. 21, 1862. Resigned 
Dec. 22, 18(53. 

Smith John M. Enlisted Nov. 14, 1862. 
Discharged Sept. 30, '03 

Smith W. F. A. Enlisted Aug. 12, '02. 
Discharged at the close of the war June 

13, '05. 

Siickney AVni. 'S. Enlisted Aug. 12, 
'62. Discharged March 23, '63. Cause, 
disability. 

Taylor Martin, V. H. Enlisted Aug. 
20, "62. Died at New Orleans July 19, 
'63. 

Tracy Frank C. Enlisted Aug. 30, '62. 
Discharged Sept. 30, '63. 

Tryon George F. Enlisted Sept. 9, '62. 
Di.schjkrged Sept. 30, '63. 

Waterman Arthur E. Sergeant. En- 
listed Sept 4, '(52. Discharged Sept. 30, 



24 



Westervelt Isaac H. Enlisted Sept. C, 
'61. Promoted to 2d Lieutenant July 9, 
'63. 

Wilcox "Charles G. Enlisted Aug. 12, 
'62. Died in the field of wounds received 
at Turner's Ferry, Ga., Sept. 1, '64. 

Williams Charles, K. Enlisted Feb. 22, 
'61. Discharged May 21, '64. 

Winkle Frank. Enlisted Aug. 12, '62. 
Discharged at the close of the war, June 
13, '65. 

Wright Lev( rott. Enlisted May 22, '61. 
Dropped from the roll by War Department 
Dec. 23, '63. 

Citizens of this town who enlifted else- 
where and not counted in the requisition of 
this town. 

Baldwin Henry S. Enlisted at Middle- 
town. Died from wounds. 

Botell Henry. Enlisted at Hartford. 

Clark W. L. Enlisted at Middietown. 

Demars Thomas. Enlisted at Middle- 
town. Killed at Antietam. 

Kappil Charles. 

Knoblock Frederick. Enlisted at Mid- 
dietown. 

Rigby Charles. Substitute for Jolin M. 
Douglas of Middietown. Killed at Port 
Hudson. 

Shepherd G. Enlisted. 

Waterman Charles. Enlisted at Mid- 
dietown. Died of wounds. 

There were several others who went as 
sul)stitutes for persons drafted whose names 
do not appear m the above list. 

In addition to the above names the town 
Jiired twelve men as substitntcs to fill the 
quota of one call without drafting. 

The following list comprises the names 
of tlie native citizens of Cnmiwell who 
have been graduated at collesie. The facts 
coni.-eruing these persons are largely de- 
rived from the appendix to Dr. Field's 
Centeimial Address. The date of bapii«m 
is from the Churcli Ricords, \o\. I. The 
children weie usually baptized the Sunday 
olLj-virur V.i-\v birtli. 



Stephen White, grandson of Nathaniel 
White one of the first settlers, was born at 
Upper Houses in 1718. About 1720 his 
family moved to New Haven. He was 
graduated at Yale in 1736. On the 24th 
of Deceinber, 1740, he was ordained pastor 
of the first church in Windham, where he 
lived and gave full proof of his ministry till 
his death, Jan. 9, 1794, aged 76. Mr. 
White married Mary Dyer, sister of Elipha- 
let Dyer, a member of the Revolutionary 
Congress, and Presiding Judge of the Su- 
preme Court of Connecticut. He had thir- 
teen children, the youngest of whom, Dyer 
White, Esq., was a lawyer in New Haven, 
and Judge of Probate. 

Daniel Stocking, son of Capt. Joseph 
Stocking, born in 1727, was graduated at 
Yale in 1748. He followed leaching, 
and was so well and widely known in his 
calling that he received t!>e title ot Master 
Slocking. He died Dec. 23, 1800, aged 
73. 

Joseph Kirby, son of Josepii and Hester 
Kirby, baptized May 19, 1745, was grad- 
uated at Yale in the class of 1765. He was 
licensed to preach but never became a pas- 
tor. He lived in Granville, Mass., and 
then in Dorset, Vt., where he died in Sep- 
tember, 1823. aged 78. 

TitDOthy Jones Gridley, son of Isaac 
Gridley, baptized Nov. 23, 1788, was 
graduated in 1808. He studied medicine 
with Dr. Nathan Smith of Dart-nonth Col- 
lege and settled as a physician at Amheist, 
Mass. He was a successful and eminent 
practitioner. Dr. Gridley died March 11, 
1852, aged 64. 

Chauncey Wilcox, born in 1797, wa.^ a 
Yale graduate, class of 1824. A'ter a course 
of tneology at New Haven, he was ordained 
and installed as pastor at North Greenwich, 
July 25, 1828. There he laliored with 
great fidelity and success for eiirhteen 
yeirs and rai-ed up an infant church of 
eighteen members, aixont; a scattered popu 
lation, to mort* than one hundrt-d. In 1817 



')r» 



Mr. Wilcox enga,s?cd in teacMng, at which 
calling he was " hi2;hly useful and success- 
fnl.'" Dnrins; this period he resided at 
lvid,!i;efiekl, where lie di id Jan. 31, 1852, 
at the age of 55. 

Thomas Stoiighton Savage, M. D. D. D., 
was a graduate of Yale in 1825; he studied 
theology in an Episcopal institute near 
Alexandria, Va., and was ordained as an 
Episcopal clergyman. For several years 
he was a missiounry at Cape PaliTifis in 
Africa. After his return he became rector 
of a church at Naiches and at Post Chris- 
tiou, Miss. ; later at Livingstone and 
Oxford, Alt. He is now rector of a church 
at iihinecliff on the Hudson. 

William Kirby was born in Cromwell, 
July 10, 1805; a Yale graduate in the class 
of 1827; s'.udied th<"ology jit Union Tlieo- 
logical ISeniinary.in 182;)-ol; was ordained 
to the gospel ministry at Guilford, March 
22, 1831. He went to Illinois tiie t^aine 
year, and was a teacher in Illinois College 
two years, 1831-3:3. He afterwards be- 
<'amc succ'ssively pastor of three churches 
from 1836-45. In 1845 he became agent 
of the AiiK rican Home Missionary Society, 
and retained that position till his death, 
D'c. 20, 1851, a-td 47. 

William Walter Woodworth was born 
in Cr..mwell, Oct. IC, 1813; was graduated 
at Yale in 1838; stu<lied theology at Vale 
Theological Seminary. He was ordained 
as pastor of the Congregatinnal Church at 
Berlin, July 6, 1842. He served thisrbureh 
ten yeais. Fr^ra 1852 to 1876, Mr. Wood- 
w.^|■th was successively pastoi- at Water- 
bury ; Mansfield, Oiiio ; Springfield, Mass.; 
Plymouth, Mass. ; Painesvjlle, Ohio ; Bel- 
chertown, Mass. ; and Grinnell, Iowa. In 
1870, Jan. f», he was installed as pastor of 
Berlin, his first parish. 

George Sloeuin Folger Savage, D.D., 
was born in this place June 29, 1817; was 
graduated at Yale in 1844; ordained at 
Cromwell. Sept. 28. 1847. He became 
pastor of a Congregational Church at St. 



Charles, III., Nov. 5, 1848, where ho re- 
mained till Jan. 1, 1800. He then became 
agent of the American Tract Society, (Bos- 
ton); later was agent for the Conurega- 
tional Publishing'; Society, and is now serv- 
ing as Financial Secretary of the Chicago 
Theological Scminaiy, and resides in Chi 
cago, 111. 

NV illiam Augustus Meigs Hand is credit- 
ed to this town. He was born in 1817, 
the only child of Wiiliaui M Hand, M. D 
He was a graduate of Wesleyan Univi rs-ity 
in the class of 1830. He studied law two 
yeai-'^, then turned to theology. He died 
before entering upon his profession, for 
which he was especially fitted by his nat- 
ural and acquired gifts. May 17, 1839. 

Josiah Savage was a Yale graduate of 
1840. He studied law in New H;iven and 
Ni'vv York. Removed to California and 
died at Trinity Kiver, Nov. 1849, aged 25. 

Ebenezer White Beckv. ith was a gradu- 
ate of Yale 1847. He taugiit in the South, 
Granada .Miss. He afterward erected the 
building noA- known as Cromwell Hall and 
estaliiislied a boarding school. He died at 
Indianapolis, Ind.. Sept. 30, 1865. 

Thomas Scranton Hubbard was a gradu- 
ate of Yale, class of 1849. He went into 
buf^iness ; was located at one time in Dui- 
hani. He is now doing an exten ive tratle 
in hardware in Uibanji, III. He is a 
prominent active member and oflricer of the 
Prestiyterian Church and a useful, publio 
spirited citizen. 

Jesse Franklin Forbes born in Hartford, 
but for several years a lesident of this 
town, was graduated at Amherst in 1874. 
He studied theology at Union Theological 
Seminary and was ordained pastor of the 
Congregational Church in Warien, 3Iass., 
in the spring of 1878. 

Edwin Horace Forbt>s was a graduate of 
Vale Scientific School in 1874. He has 
taught school at Plymouth and Windsor. 

George Fairfield Forbes was a graduate 
of And'eist in 1875. Since graduation he 



26 



lias l)oen a tcaclicr in Roxbury Latin School, 
IJoston Highlands. 

John Winthrop WiiLfht was an Amherst 
graduate of 1877. He is now stiKl3ing 
medicine in New York. 

Russell Stow, a native of this town, 
spent one year in Vale College, 1798, v^lien 
he left thai institution and studied medi- 
eine with Dr. Ebenezor Tracy. He alter- 
Avards prac'.iced in Eliisl)nri;h and Adams, 
Jefferson Co., N. Y., with excellent suc- 
cess. 

Robert Hubhard, M. D., of this place, 
entered Yale College bul was compelled to 
leave on f-.ccount of ill health. lie studied 
medicine and e.-tablished liimself in Bridge- 
port, where he has a very extensive prac- 
tice. He is well known and nuich respect- 
ed in Fail field County. He has <uice been 
a candidate for ('ongress in his district, 
and was so popular tliiit lie ran ahead of 
the rest of ihe ticket. 

The following were sons of Rev Edward 
Eel Is. 

James Eells, Yale 17fio, was ordained pas- 
tor at Buckingluim, August. 17')9, and 
served that church till he died in 1805. 

Samuel E- lis, Yale, 17()5. was ordained 
pastor at North Branfoid in 17ti9, and re- 
mained there till his death in April, 1808. 

Ozias Eells, Yale, 177!», was ord iined 
pastor at Barkhamsted. Jan. I7s7 and con- 
tinued, like his bro'hers, psistor of his tir,-t 
church till his dealli in M.iy, 181 o. 

There are in c(»Hege at this date, Dec. 
1879, the following young men : 

Fiank Kirkw-ood Hallock, class o I 1882, 
Wesleyan. 

Watson Lewis Savage, ciii-s of 1882, 
Amherst. 

Willis Benton Wriglit, elass of 1881. 
Sheffield Sci(!niific School. Yale. 

To this list of n;imes should he added 
those of \\ illiam C. Redheld and William 
R. Stocking. 'I'lie names (if lioth thi;.se 
men are cherished with peculiar respect 



and reverence by the older citizens of this 
town. 

Prof. Olmsted says of Mr. Redfield, in 
his address before the American Associa- 
tion for the Advancement of Science. He 
was born in Middletown, March 26, 1789, 
and moved to Cromwell at the age of 14. 
He Avas a thorough student, and derived 
much aid from a debating S'lcie!}' — 
" friendly Association " — which be helped 
to organize. Tally, a scholarly physician, 
also greatly assisted him. In 1821 occurred 
the "great September gale," and in travel- 
ing over the legi'in devastated some weeks 
afterwards, Mr. Redfield saw that while in 
one section the storm caine from the south- 
east a few miles distant the direction was 
from the norf/i-irt xf The idea flashed 
upon him that the storm was a "progres- 
sive whirl iiund.''' This dit-covery placed 
him among the piiilosophers of his time. 
In 1820 Franklin Kelsey, a townsman, in- 
vented a peculiar engine for sieaniboats; 
that idea proved a •ailuic, bul li suggested 
to the mind of 31 r. Redfield, a safety 
barr/c, as avoiding the danger of explo- 
sions, the passenger boat being towed by 
the steamboat, and out of that grew the 
plan of tow boats, now so generdl\' used 
on the Hud>on and other rivets, and for 
thirty years Mr. Redfield had the superin- 
tendence ol such a line. In 1829, when 
railroads had been known in the country 
tor only three years, and while the Erie 
canal was at the height of its popularity, 
he issued a pamphlet siigiicstins a line of 
railroads connecting the Hudson and the 
Mississippi rivers, and foretold how won- 
dei fully it would develop that part of our 
c luntry. He was one of the leaders in 
building the Harlem, Hudson River and 
Hartford and New Haven railroads. He 
was a frequent c<mtribulor to scientific 
journals, and in 18H9 received the honorary 
degree jf M. A. from Yale College. His 
d,'ath occurred in the early part of 1857. 



'Zl 



I am indebted tor the facts in regard to 
Rev. William R. Slocking to the sermon 
preached at his funeral in Oroomiah, Per- 
sia, July 9, 185 1, by Rev. Justin Perkins, 
D. D. William Tiedtield Stocking was 
born in Cromwell, then Upper IMiddlo- 
town, June 24, 1810. He was born the 
same year the n»issionary society in whose 
service he spent his life was established, 
and used playfully to remark to his mission- 
ary brethren, that he was the twin brother 
of the American Board of Commissioners 
for Foreign Missions. " IJrolher, son or 
missionary of that Board," says Dr. Per- 
kins, " he was an honor and ornament to 
it in every relation." Some tirne previous 
to 1830 Mr. Stocking entered the Academy 
at Alunson, Mmss., vvilh ihe intention of 
fifing for Yale College. An earnest appeal 
for helpers sent forth tiiat year by the mis- 
sionary society, especially fur well (I'lali- 
lied teachers for the Sandwich Islands, ?o 
s'irred the soul of the young studeni that 
he offered himself as a teacher for that 
held, and was accepted. But before l.e 
was ready to depart, an a[)peal came from 
the Ne.-torian Mission for a superintendent 
of its educational work. Mr. Stocking was 
appointed to this work. He sailed with 
h s wife, nee Miss Jerusha E. Gilbert of 
Colchester, to whom he was married in 
December, 183fi, from Boston on the Tiii 
of January, 1887. He reached his field of 
lalior in June of that year, and at once de- 
voted hidiself with characteristic energy to 
the m:ist< ry of the language of Ids new 
home. He entered with zeal into his work. 
He was an earni si, inspiring and success- 
ful tiacher. He coniinued in the educa- 
tional branch of the mission work till 1841, 
April I8th, at vvliieh lime he was ordained 
to the gospel niiniftiy. In a sern cai de- 
livered in Persia by Dr. Justin PerUins, 
soon after the death of Mr. Stocking, he 
says he had no superior and pro'.iably no 
equal as a preacher in the mission. In 
times of revivals and on m<.ny great occa- 



sions his sermons h id a wonderfully sub- 
duing, overcoming effect. Mr. Stocking 
continued to work with untirinsr devotion 
and energ}^ till the failure of his health in 
185:] compelled him to return to his native 
land. Instead of renaimng health, he de- 
clined and died on the 30; h of April, 1S54, 
aged 44. Says Dr. Perkins, -'Mr. Slock- 
ing had accomplished a great work before 
he left us. Through his faithful labors 
and his fervent prayers, under the Divine 
blessing, ' much people was added unto the 
Lord.' He liad a wonderful tact and power 
lo reach, impriss and influence the native 
mind and heart; and that tact andpowerwas 
not suffered to rest or lie dormant while 
he had corporeal strengtii to exercise 
them.'* Mrs. Stocking is still living. A 
son, Rev. William R., is a missionary in 
the same field as that in which his father la- 
bored and did his life work. 



THE FrilENDl.Y ASSOCIATION AND ACADEMY. 

These two institutions were in active 
operation in 1 he early part of this century 
in this town, and were a healthful means 
of awakening and devoloping the mental 
powcis of the young. 

The\ are pleasantly recalled by ihe older 
inhabitanis. Though every one whose 
memory goes back to the dajs when this 
si-hoo! and society were in a nourishing 
condition, speaks of their influence as being 
in every "ay iielpfui and elevating, I have 
been able to gather but few fncts. 

As early as 1808, according to Dr. Field 
in his "Centennial Address and Histoiical 
Sketches," a debating society was formed. 
Two years later, this society was enlarged, 
or latlier another oriianization was formed 
upon a broader and more efficient pi 'U, to 
which Ihe prop' rty of the old society was 
I ransfened. This was the Friendly Asso- 
(■iation, v\hose fir.st meeting was held Feb. 
20, 1810. The object of this association 
was to i>roniote " Ihe 'discussion of qucs- 



28 



tinns on various subjects, the recitation of 
dialounes and selecte^l pieces, original com- 
position and declamation, together witli a 
permanent library or the use of its mem- 
bers. It has had nearly three hundred 
members, and a library of about tive hun- 
dred vohiMies. This association has had no 
active existence as a debatmii society for 
these many years. Ho far as I can ascer- 
tain the period of this society's gre itesl ac- 
tivity and usefulness was between 1810 
and 1880. Dr. Warren says: When I 
went to Oomvvell, (1838) it had i)as^ed in- 
to its decline. Mr. W. (' Kedfiold, Dr. 
Wm. Tully and others \vl:i< had been in- 
terested in it at first iiad moved a^vay, and 
there were few to take I heir places. 'I'he 
library was still used to some e.xtent, but 
the l)ooks were not of a popular character, 
anil were not much sougiit for." 

ADout tive years ago its constitution was 
modified so as to enable it to mauifam a 
reading room and library without sustain- 
ing reguhu' uicetini^s, as the olil onstiuiion 
requireil. A few new books were added 
anil a reading room was opened in the sec- 
dd story (jf the high school building — tl'C 
old Academy. The books, though modem 
and enleitaining, were too few in number 
to attract readers. The reading room, 
though enjoj'ed by those who fre(iuenteil 
it, was closed in a few months for wani of 
funds. 

A library and reading room, well stocked 
and liberally maintained, is a greai decider 
alum lor this community, second only to a 
first class school. The day will come, 1 
believe, when every comtnuniiy possessing 
the vvedth aud population of this, will r.ol 
be without these means of mental nourit-h- 
ment. The value of good reading in pro- 
moting ciiture, breadth and ttrengtii of 
mind, will be appreciated. Does one wish 
to leave a monument to his name? Does 
one wish to confer some lasting blessing 
upon his native place ^ Does he wijh to 



start an influence that shall be a perennial 
source of mental and moral good, outlast 
ing the most enduring monuments of stone 
and bronze ? Let him do sometbimr to es- 
tablish, on a liberil and enduring basis, the 
educational interest^ of his home. Here 
is a grand field for a far-seeing, liberal and 
p'jblic-spirited man. 

Since writing the above sketch, I have 
had the good fortune to obtain a brief his- 
tory of the Friendly Association, written 
by the late Horace G. Williams, found 
among his papers and now in the possession 
of his sister, Miss Emilv T. Williams of 
Midiiletown. I am kindly permitted to 
make use of this history. In addition to 
what has already been given, 1 gather the 
following interesting facts: 

The first officers of the society, elected 
Feb. 20, 1810, were as follows :— Presi- 
dent, Rev. Joshua L. Williams; Vice Pres- 
ident, Silas Sage; Secretary, W'lliiam C. 
Redfield; Treasurer. Allen Butler. Of 
the early memt>ers who were particularlj' 
active in establishing and maintaining the 
Associ ition, the names of Messrs. William 
C. R-dfield, Silas Sage, Joseph Williams, 
and Martin Ranney may be mentioned. 

Tile purpose, orjianization and exercises 
of the association were sunilar to ihedebat- 
ing societies and lyceums which were very 
common in the towns and villages of New 
Eigland till within a recent perir.d. In 
late years periodical literature iias met the 
want which these institutions supplied. 

The exercises of the meetln<r were • vari- 
ous. " They consisted of original compo- 
sitions, recitation of dialogues and selected 
pieces, reading of choice extracts, transla- 
tions from the classics and modern lan- 
guages, reviews of literary publications, 
the exhibitiim of natural curiosities and 
articles of antitiuarian interest, and the per- 
formance of chemical experiments." 

Lecturers were secured at various times. 
Among those recorded liy Mr. Williams are. 



29 



Dr. Tully, Rev. ]VIr. Crocker and Dr. 
Warner of this place; Dr. Charles Wood- 
wood, Isaac Webb, Esq., and Rev. Artliur 
Granger ot JMiddletovvn ; Prof. A. W. 
Smith and Prof. Johnston of Wesleyan 
University; and Rev. D. D. Field, D.D., 
of Haddam. The subject of Dr. Field's 
lecture was comprehensive, "The build- 
ings, furniture, food, dress, occupation, 
amusements, education and religion ot our 
Puritan ancestors."' 

Between the date of its organization, 
1810, and 1850, the date of Mr. Willian.s' 
sketch, 802 weekly and monthly meetings 
were held. 

I cannot find any precise date as to the 
esiablislumnt of the Academy. Dr. Field 
mentions that "a numl)er i«f gentlemen in 
1782, united togethi r in an effort to build 
a new school liouse in the centre, and to 
sustain a teacher summer and winter. It 
was the purpose to maintain a :chool of a 
higher grade than the avemge district 
schools of that day. This building, or one 
that replaced it, stood <in the green south 
of the Baptist Church, and in the rear, 
west, of the old meeting hou.-e— the second 
church edifice of the Congregational Socie- 
t}'. This school never had any fund. It 
was maintained on what was known as the 
sut)scription plan. Those patronizing the 
school paid their share nf the expense. 

The teachers employed were generally 
young men who were pursuing their studies, 
in cnlk'ge, in preparing for cnliege, or for 
one of the liberal professions. Dr. Hutch- 
inson, who has been our resident physician 
fur more than twenty-fivt ye.irs, wasatone 
tmie, about 1820, a teacher in this school. 
Of those who have been teachers since 
1830, ten became ministers of the gospel. 
One of Ihe^e. Rev. I. P. Warren, D.D , of 
Portland, Maine, writes to me as follows: 
'"I was engaged to teach the Academy 
in the spring of 1838, being then in my 
Senior year at Yale. I continued there till 
the fall of 1839, when I returned to Kt-w 



Haven to study theology'. Rev. Mr. 
Crocker was then President of the Board of 
Trustees, which consisted of Dea. Isaac 
Sage, Edvvard Savage, Esq., Dr. Richard 
Warner, Israel Russell, and oxvi or two 
others. The first summer the school num- 
bend about thirty; the winter following, 
nearly twice as man}'. An assisiant. Miss 
Comstock of Haitford, wmS employed dur- 
ing part of that term. My s:dary was at 
the rate of $500 per annum, and was paid 
by an assessment, pro-rata, upon the pupils 
in attendance. It was the intent of the 
school to lurnish what was then the high- 
est grade of common education, and also to 
fit young nun for college. Of tiinse who 
Were then intending to enter Yale College, 
I remember Dr. Geo. S. F. Savage, Josiah 
Savage, Ebeuezi r Beckwith, and Dr. Rob- 
ert Hubbard. A consideralile number of 
the oMer pupils were refined yung ladies 
and gentlemen. The school had undoubt- 
edly done much to elevate the tastes »nd 
manners of the youth, and indeed the gen- 
eral tone of society in the place. I should 
add too, that it was during all that period 
niost constantly under the influences of tiie 
Hoiy Spirit. The ministry of Rev. Mr. 
Crocker was an eminently faithful and 
fruitful o'le, and few years pas-ed without 
revivals of greater or le-s extent. The 
Prineii)ds of ihe Academy were ministers 
or candidates for the ministry, and few pu- 
pils could have attende.! the school even 
for a short time w'ithout being brought into 
personal contact with the Truth " 

The old building on the green gave way 
to the brick structure formerly called " The 
Academy," now occupied by the high 
sciiool. This building vvas erected in 1834, 
at an expense of $1,700. No private or 
sel. ct school has been taught for several 
years. It is now rented b}' the trustees of 
the [)roi)eriy to the town for the purposes 
of a hign school. Tlie school kno^^ n as 
high school reaKy unites the grade of both 
gi-cwiimar and high school department, and 



BO 



has baea eHflciently taught for several years 
by Kev. Henry S. Stevens. 

VILLAGE IMPROVEMENTS. 

Uulil within two years from present 
year, 1879, little has been done in a sys- 
tematic way by the united effort of citizens 
toward the impiovemenl and adornment 
of tbe village. But tliere have been, at 
different linies, public spirited citizens wbo 
have shown an active and useful interest. 
Of these, Benjamin Wilcox should be men- 
tioned. To him the villige is indebted, so 
I am iiif()r:>ied, tor the fine avenue of 
ma|iks on the eastern side of the park just 
south of Prospect Hill. Dr. Richard War- 
ner, also, showed much interest in public 
improvements. It was through his interest 
chietiy that tlie trees were planted along 
Uie river banlsS l)eside the highway leading 
to .Middletovvu. By the efforts of citizens 
now livii'g, considerable had been done, 
before tliere was any organized work, in 
the way of laying sidewalks and phmting 
Uees in front of tlieir own residences. 

In the spiing of 1877, stejis were laki n 
toward the r)rganiziti(m of a Village or 
Town Improvement Society. It is an or- 
ganization of citizens, having tbis purpose, 
as stated in its Constitution, to-wit : "lu 
improve and ornament in every practicable 
way, the public grounds, streets, highwavs 
and other property of the town, l)y plant- 
ing trees, fencing and beautitying green*, 
l)etteriug the roads, attending lo driiinagc 
and smnv paths and doing whatever may 
render the tow n more pleasant and attrac- 
live as a pi ice of residence. Also to en - 
courage individuals to do for tlieir own 
grounds w li.it the association attempts lor 
tlie town generally." 

Tlie first officers of the So( iety were 
elected June 2d, 1877, to hold office till 
the Annual Meeting to be callid in the 
the autumn. Tiiese officers were as fol- 
lows: Wm. E. Hurlbert, Pres., W. H.. 
McDtmald, F.rst vice-Pres. ; Riis>tl Fris- 
bie, Second yicePres. ; J. f. Tieat, hcc- 



retary ; E. S. Coe, Treasurer ; and a board 
of ten, five gentlemen and five ladies, who 
with the other officers constitute the Ex- 
ecutive Committee. 

In the autumn of 1877, about three hun- 
dred and seventy trees were planted. Since 
the society began its work more than tive 
hundred tiees have been planted. Some- 
thing has been done toward improving 
sidewalks and roadwuys. The work of 
improving the commons is about to be 
taken up. The following is tbe present 
board of officers chosen Nov. 24th, 1879. 

President, W. R. McDonald. 

First Vice-President, Russel Frisbie. 

Second Vice-President, Dr Halloek. 

Secretary, R. S. Giiswold. 

Treasurer, E. S. Coe. 

Executive Committee. — Geo. Wilcov:, 
M. S. Dudley, Capt. Pabner, Bulkley 
Edwards, A. N. Pierson, Mrs. Geo. Gil- 
luiT., Mrs. Wheelock, Mrs. M. H. Smitli, 
Miss Emma Savage, Mrs. H. N. Stock- 
ing. 



To tlie list ot those who took part in the 
Rev(diitionaiy war the name of William 
Stone should be adiled. This makes the 
number, so far as at present kno'vn, thirty- 
eight. 

William Stow was baptized Sept. 29th, 
1754r. He was tlie s ni of -bmathan and 
Abiah Stow. He had two older brotiieis, 
Samuel and Jonathan in the seivice. I 
give below tA'o letters, copies (;f which 
have been kindly 'furnished me by Mr. 
Charles C. Savage of Brooklyn, N. Y., u 
grand nephew of Mr. Stow. Mr. Stow 
took part in the battle of Bunker Hill, and 
the firrt letter was written soon after that 
engagement. 

I. 
RoxBUKY, June 23, A. D., 1775. 
Dear Pakent.s. 

I having an opportunity to write to 
let 30U know that 1 am well and in high 
spirits as I hope these lines will find ^011 



I 



31 



the same. All those, the scurmage -which 
I -wrote to j'ou before the certainty of 
whicii, were killed, we cannot tell as yet, 
but 'tis reported there is about 1,700 of the 
lie^nlars, killed and wounded. There was 
alxmt seventy officers, some colonels. On 
our side particulars we have not, but it is 
supposed about sixty or seventy killed and 
taken prisoners. So no more at present. I 
remain'your loving son till death. 

WiLT.iAM Stow. 
Don't forget to scud tliat sealing wax 

and thread. 

IT. 
July the 2i\ A. D., 1775. 
Honored Father and Mo'rnER. 

I fake this opimrtunity to let you 
know that through the kind providence of 
God I am well and in high spirits as I hope 
these 31 lies will fmd you. Saturday, the 
1st of July, we got ffM-titied upon a hill 
and placed two twenty four pounders. 
Tiiey fired twice, the first struck about 
eight rods from their breastworks, the sec- 
ond went over among their tents. Sunday 
morning following they began and fired 
very fast. They fired and sot one house 
afu-e. Tiiey also threw but hurt no per- 
son. 

N. B.— Tiie iJarticnlars of the captives 
the regulars took we have had letters from 
Ihem that they have thirty, amongst Ihem 
one Colonel. O that we had known how- 
it was with them, tor tis supposed that all 
the regulars went out except the guard and 
llie town was oblised to s'and sentries, f>ir 
this we had from Liberty men that came 
out Uiat niglit. Some of the tnwn's next 
neighl)ors got leave to come. I iiave noth- 
ing to vvrite, only how we have fresh beef 
tliive times'a week and a pint of milK a day 
and butter, also chocolate and molasses. 
We want for'nothing. I have a little more 
to write which was transacted this da}\ 
We took a barge with eleven men in it. 
First we fired upon them and killed four, 
the rest surrendered up to us. 



So I remain your loving son till death 
shall part us. 

Wii.i.iAM Stow. 

P. S. — I have received the thread and 
sealing wax by Edward Eells, Jr. 



The following is the siurjuiarj' of a 
thorou'jh canvass of the town made in .Jan. 
aufl Feb., 1878, by a Bible distributor 
under the direction of the Middletown and 
Vicinity Bible Society, and the superinten- 
dence of Kev. W. H. Gilbert, agent of the 
Am. Bible Society. 

Whole number of families, 873 

American, 211 

Forei^sn, l'J2 

Foreign distributed as follows : 
Irish, 8.5 

German, 51 

English, 1^ 

Various, ^'2 

To'al population, 1,617 

Protestant families, 257 

Koman Catholic, 116 

Averaure size of family '-^i 



During the pastorate of Kev. Edward 
Eells the currency was so variable that his 
salary was for a time voted annually. 

It varied considerably from £tjO (1300) 
to £(540 )!{;3,208), and his fire wood, 20 
cords. After 1757 was voted in silver, 
£00. 



The following entries by Pu'V. Mr, Eells 
in Vol. 1, .page 8, of ch. records, shows 
time of beginning the 5^ear in oldeH lime 
and the period of change to the present 
system. 

"My Church Records beuins the year 
with March without double dating any," 

"By nn act of parliament regulating of 
time, appointing the year to begin in Jan. 
the 1st day, 1 do" in my Church Records 
begin the year 17.52 with the first day of 
January and so continue it in conformity 
to authority." 



32 



In regard to the names by vvbicb this 
town has been known. 

Soon after the first settlement of Mid- 
dletown, the section north of Little River 
began to be called "Upper Houses," or 
vulgarly "Upper Housen." When it was 
made a separate parish, it was designated 
in the official documents as "'The Second 
Ecclesiastical Society of Middletowc." 
Frequently in the reports of the Society it 
is called "North Society." When a Post 
Office was established, this part of the 
town was known as "Middletown, Upper 
Houses." This continued to be the P. U. 
address until about 1830, when it was 
shortened to "Upper Middletown." In 
18.51 tills parish was incorporated as a sep- 
arate town under the nnme of Cromwell. 



A note upon the evideuc.-s that shtve 
holding was in praetice aai mg the early 
settlers. 

There are frequent traces in the records 
and some reliable traditions of slavehold- 
ing. 

The names of slaves appear in the earlier 
church records, showing that they were 
baptized and received into full communion. 

In a vvill executed by Mr. Joseph Smith, 
son of Rev. Joseph Smitii, first pastor of 
this church, Sept. 20, 1768, there is the 
following bequest. After naming his five 
sons und giving them hi real and peisonal 
estate, he says. " I give them equally my 
negro-man Cloip or Peter. But they or 
either of them shiU not sell him out of tiie 
fairily unless by his own choice, and if he 
should live to want support more than he 
can earn by his own labois, he shall l)e 
comfortobly provided for by my sons at 
equal expense, if they don't otherwise 
ayree." 

Seats in the gallery of the church, south 
side, were set apart for the use of slavts, 
and the south-west corner of the old ceme- 
tery was assigned as their last resting 
pla. e. 



CROMWELL CEMETERY. 

The ground first used as a ceuietery was 
in close proximity to the meeting-house. 
It was a plot of ground just south of the 
site of the first church building and south- 
east of the present residence of Mr. Joseph 
Edwards. This lot was granted by the 
town of Middletown. "At a meeting held 
Jan. 13, 1712-13, the town (Middietov\'n) 
granted to the inhabitants on the north side 
of the river (Liltle), an acre of land be- 
tween Capt. John Savage's and Samuel 
Gibson's, their homesteads, for a burying 
ground; and Capt. Savage, Samuel Gibson 
and John Warner, Jun., were appointed a 
committee to lay it out, where it may be 
most convenient and least pivjudiced to 
outlots." This ground has been enlarged 
to two acres and was the sole burying 
ground in the eastern part of the town until 
1855, whtm the present Cemetery Associa- 
tion was organized and the cemetery now 
occupied — about three-fourths of a mile 
north of the Old Ground — v\as opened. 

During the present year, 1879, active 
measures have been taken to put the old 
cemetery, whicli had been much neglected 
and suffered to grow up wiih weeds and 
bushes, into order. The town, to which 
the lot belongs, appropriated one hundred 
and seventy-five dollars u> be expended in 
improve;nenis. A uood work hiS alread}' 
been done in clearing the surface of weeds, 
in righting up the monun.ents, and wheie 
possible, in bringing them into some sort at 
regularity. The foot stones have been re- 
moved, and the mounds above the graves 
leveled. The plan is to secure a good 
smooth surface, well-turtVd and free from 
weeds. It is proposed, also, by private 
subscriptions, to dect)rate the lot with or- 
namental trees and shrubbery. Thus what 
has lona been a disfigurement and a dis- 
grace bids fair to become an attractive and 
a pleasing featuie in (»ur landscape. 

One ' f the first inl abitants of this place 
—tradition says the first— t^* find a resting 



33 



l^'.aCL- in this cemoterj-, was Thomas Ran- 
ney. His mnnumcn}, a brownstone slab, 
has evidently crumbled away cfiusidorably. 
It is only about eighteen inches high. The 
following inscription is deciphered with 
difficulty : 
No. 1. 

Here Lies 

Tl)e Body Of 

Thomas Kanney, 

SE^R, Lived 97 ypp.rs. Died June 

21st, 1713. 
I have copied the following inscriptions 
from other monuments: 

The tablet in the table monument of 
Rev. Joseph'Sniith, the first pastor of tlie 
Congregational church — is lost. At a busi- 
ness meeting of the Congregational church 
held in November, 1879, it was voted to 
renew the tablet in Re\'. Mr. Smith's mon- 
utnent. The renewed inscription is as fol- 
lows : 

Rev. Joseph Smith, first pastor of the 
Congregational churcli, died Sept. 8, 1736, 
JE 62. 

Inscription renewed 18S0. 
The monument of his widow which stands 
beside the table monument, has this inscrip- 
tion : 

No. 2. 
Here lies interred the remains of Mrs. 
Esther Smith, the Relict to the Rev. Mr. 
Joseph Smith, who departed this life. May 
ye 30th, A. D., 1760. In the 89th year of 
her nge. 
No. 3. 
This monument is sacred to the memory 
of the Rev. Edward Eells, Pastor of the 
Second Church of Christ in Middletown, 
who departed this life Oct. ye 12th, A. D., 
1770, JE 6-1, and in the o9th year of his 
ministr}'. 

Remember tlfose who have spoken unto 
you the word of God. 



No. 4. 

In Memory of the 

Revd. 

Joshua L. Williams 

Pastor of the 2d church 

in Middletown, 

who died 

Dec. 29, 1832, 

in the 48th year of his age, 

and the 24th of his ministry. 

Faithful, beloved and much lamented he 

departed in peace. 

Christ in him was the hope of Glory. 
Beside the grave of Mr. Williams stand 
two monuments evidently markmg the 
graves of his father and mother, who out- 
lived him. They are examples ot brevity 
as regard the inscriptions upon them. 

No. 5. 

Rev. Joshua Williams 

died 

Feb. 8, 1836. 

JE 75. 

No. 6. 

Mary Williams 

died May 16, 1838. 
JE 77. 
No. 7. 
Rev. Zebulon Crocker was born in Wil- 
lington, March 8, 1802. Graduated at 
Yale College, 1827. Ordained May 2, 
1833. Died Nov. 14, 1847, JE 45. 

Friends who knew his worth have erect- 
ed this stone. 
N3. 8. 
Sacred to the memory of Amos Sage, son 
ot Captain Nathan and Mrs. Huldah Sage, 
who died at Port-au-Prince, Jan. 25, 1791, 
in the 18th year of his age. Much lament- 
ed by his Father. Mother, Sister, and 
friends, he bid fair to make the honest 
man. 

No. 9. 
" Here lies interred the body of John 
Sage, who departed this life Jan. 22, A. 
D., 1751. In the 83d year of his age. 



34 



He left a virtuoui? and sorrowful widow, 
witb whom he lived 57 years and had fif- 
teen children, twelve of whom married and 
increased ye family by repeated marriages 
to thu number of twenty-nine, of whom 
there are tifteeu alive. He had one hun- 
dred and twenty grand-children, one hun- 
dred and five of them now living, forty 
grcat-grand-children, thirty seven of them 
now living, which maUes tlie numerous off- 
spring one hundred and eighty- nine." 

This is upon a slate tablet set in a free- 
stone table monument. Upon a second 
tablet of slate in the same stone is the fol- 
lowing inscription : 

" Here lies the body of Mrs. Hannah 
Sage, once the vinuous consort of .Mr. John 
Sage, who both are covered with this stone, 
and there has l)een added to the numerous 
offspring mentioned above, forty-four by 
births and marriage*, wliioh makes the 
wiiolc two hundred and thirty-tiiree. Slie 
fell asleep September the 28, 1783. In the 
85th }'ear of her age. " 

I am told that none of tiie desc( ndants of 
John Saue and his " numerous offspring " 
reside in town. Also that tliere are five 
hundred mid five families descended from 
him scattered through thirty-four states 
and four territories. 

PlIYSIClAKS IN CROMWELL. 

Aaron Roberts; began 1857; moved to 
Uerlin to live with a son in 1783; died 
1792, aged 62. He was a surgeon in the 
Revolution. 

Solomon Savage; in practice from 1762 
to his death Jan 29, 1783, aged 43. 

Daniel Lee; 178-1 1787; moved to New 
London. 

Gideon Noble; 1781-1802; moved to 
South Glastonbnry; died 1807. 

Titus Morgan; 1802 to Nov. 11, 1811, 
when he died at 35 years of age. 

William M. Hand; 1812-1816; moved 
to Wortiiinglon in Berlin. 

William TuUey; practiced for a short 



time about 1810, when he moved to ]Mid- 
dletown. 

David B. Brooks; commenced practice 
here in 1819; remained one year and re- 
moved to New York, where he died in 1830 
aged 32. 

Sylvester Buckley; 1821-1831; removed 
to Worthington. 

Richard Warner; 1830-1853; died Sept- 
29, 1853. 

Ira Hutchinson; 1853 to present time. 

R. M. Griswold; 1875-6; removed to 
Plainville. 

J. H. Trent; 1876-7; removed to Ter- 
ryville. 

James Conland; 1879. 



In the brief account of AVilliam C. Red- 
field, on page 26, I think the fact of his 
discovering the correct theory of storms is 
not sutflciently emphasized. It is no more 
tlian justice to Mr. Reddeld's incisive and 
inventive mind to claim for him the credit 
of giving the world the true solution to the 
meteorlogical phenomena of our earth. If 
we know the direction and force of a wind 
storm when it begins, in about eighty-five 
or ninetv times out of a hundred, we can 
map out, beforehand, the track of the 
storm and give a trustworthy announce- 
ment of its intensity. Mr. Redfield's sim- 
ple announcement "every storm is a gieat 
whirlwind," gives the key to meteorology. 
It places Redfitdd among the world's great 
discoverers. As early as 1831, in an arti- 
cle published in the American Journal of 
Commerce, Vol. 20th, he predicts the prac- 
tical results, of which we are now reaping 
the benefits. He says: ''In the early 
stages, or indications of storms upon our 
coast, it would seem that a pretty correct 
estimate Lnay be formed of the bearing, 
and probable course of the heart oj the 
storm.''' The italics are Mr. Redfield's. 
We have adopted a different term and say 
"storm centre." "This shows," says 
Mr. Redfield again, " the importance of 



35 



particulars in marine reports, specifying 
tlie latitude and longitude, date, time of 
cotnmenccment, direction, duration, 
and sid)Keq}H'nt changes of such storms 
as mny oxiiihit either extraordinary vio- 
lence, or indications of such violence in 
their immediate vicinity." Mr. Redfield 
is worthy of lasting raemor>', as much so 
as Franklin the discoverer of electricity, or 
Wells the discoverer of anesthetics. Tiiis 
discovery was the first step which led on 
to our present system of weather indica- 
tions among the first items of news which 
•we look for every morning in our daily 
newspapers. 

ADniTlOXAL GRADUATES. 

Stillman K. Wightman. A graduate of 
Yale in the class of 1824. He studied law, 
practiced for a time in the Courts of Mid- 
dlesex County, then moved to New York. 
He has been and still is a successful prac- 
titioner. 

Robert Paddock. A graduate of Union. 
Siuciied medicine and moved South to Ken- 
tuckj% if I am rightly informed. 

Benjamin Wilcox. Williams, class of 
1841. He was a successful teacher in the 
AYest. 

Rlwin Hal?ey Cole. A graduate of 
Wesleyan in 1851. He whs born in Chat- 
ham in 1827. His father moved to this 
town during Edwin's boyliood. After grad- 
tiation Mr. Cole taught school in Ameuia, 
New York; Collinsville and Bristol this 
State. Owing to failure of health in 1850, 
he resigned his position as Principal ot the 
High School in Bristol and removed to his 
father's in West Cromwell, where he died 
July 16,' 1859. 

ERRATA. 

On page 10, second column, in regard to 



the additions attributed to the pastorate of 
Kev. Mr. Clark, it should be stated thit 
most of the additions by profession were 
due to a special season of revival interest 
under the lead of Kev. Erastus Colton and 
were received into membership by him be- 
fore Mr. Clark was installed as pastor. Mr- 
Colton was here only a short time and hard- 
ly held tlie relation of pastor or actinsi pas- 
tor. He labored as an evangelist. This is 
according to the recollections of those ac- 
quainted with all the circumstances. 

On pagt- 10, second column, the sunuua- 
ry of additions during tlie pastorates (if 
Rev. Messrs. Hall and Ladd should read as 
follows: 

W. K. IIAU.'S PASTORATE. 

18r)4-18B5. 1 year. 

By Profession, 11 

" Letter, 1 

Total, 12 

Average, 12. 

H. O. LADd's PASTORATE. 

18(!5-18()7. 2 yeans. 
By Profession, 17 

" Letter, 10 

Total, 27 

Averaiie, 13. 

On page Ki, first column, for William B. 
Stocking, read William R. On same page 
and column, for G. S. T. Savage, read G. 
S. F. On same page, second cohuun, in 
the clause "the house now occupied by 
Mr. Stocking on Freestone street," for 
Stocking read Stickney 

On page 18, second column for " Birch 
School," used twice, read "■Brick.'' 

On page 27, first column, in clause 
•' Mijs Jcrusha E. Gilbert of Colchester," 
for Colchester read Colebrouk. 



c^ 



36 



Since the last page was printed the fol- 
lowing additional inforraatiou has been re- 
ceived. 

Jonathan Roberts Paddock was born 
Nov. 19, 1803. He prepared for college 
with Rev. Joshua L. Williams, of this 
place, and was graduated in Union College, 
Schenectady, N. Y. Afcer graduation, he 
tauiiht school for a time; was a Professor 
in Won hi ngf on College, Ohio. Later he 
studied medicine and practiced in Ohio and 



Kentucky. He died June Tth, 1878. 
(This name should take the place of Rob- 
ert Paddock. ) 

On page 30, first column, for J. H. Treat 
Secretary, read J. H. Trent. 

On page 30, second column, for William 
Stone, read William Stow. 

On page 31, first column, at the end of 
the first sentence in Mr. Stow's first letter 
omit the words, "the same." 



\X 



<6. 



V^ 



I 






